'The Boy' - Movie Review

The BoyUA Horrorthriller Director William Brent BellCast Lauren Cohan Rupert Evans Diana Hardcastle James Russell Javier BotetRatingThe Boy poster PicSanta BantaTwilight Zone Chucky series Annabelle The Conjuring and several other horror flicks have used large or small sized dolls as a medium for their scares Some were super successful in their attempt while others were middling but none as insipid and unexciting as this new one The Boy in which a young woman an abuse victim Greta Lauren Cohan takes on the job of a Nanny of a young boy in a remote English villageUpon her arrival at the secluded Heelshires veterans Jim Norton and Diana Hardcastle imposing stately manor in a chauffeur driven car she is flabbergasted by the discovery that the child soontobe under her care is a lifesize doll that the parents believe is a receptacle of the spirit of their son who died a tragic death two decades ago in a fire that gutted a part of the house The money she is being paid acts as the lure for her to stay put It is just too good more than she has ever earned in a week And then the parents just get up and leave for a muchdeserved holiday with her in charge She gains some comfort from the regulated presence of the delivery man Malcolm Rupert Evans but the strange occurrences and the eerie goings on like the doll shifting positions shedding tears making her shoes and clothes disappear making her feel like imposing shadows are moving around her getting her trapped in the attic and turning on the music without her knowledge just make her question her own sanity And then Cole her ex turns up unexpectedly and matters just get worse from thereonStacey Menears script leaves a lot of questions unanswered Some of the characters just dont have any back stories while the final ploy used to up the scares just doesnt work because you see it coming from a mile away The narrative careers through a series of implausible twists and turns before trying to make it all look plausible but by then its just too late and interest is on the debit side The camerawork looks good but theres not much effect in terms of atmospherics to shoulder the scaresDirector William Brent Bell doesnt seem able to decide on a consistent tone for the flick Jump scares nightmares and strange home theatrics seem contrived and strangely alltoo familiar The film just cant live up to the challenge of creating a monster out of a doll and all the tricks thereof seems just that and too feeble and insipid to give you the chills You are going to be largely unaffected by this one