Boy Kills World

This review may contain spoilers!

 

Boy Kills World follows the title character, Boy, as he goes on a revenge-fuelled rampage to kill the tyrannical family responsible for killing his own. This movie is a real high-octane thrill, entirely nuts but also surprisingly creative. These days, every fast moving action feature seems to want to be John Wick, but I really didn't see that formula in Boy Kills World. This is a pulpy no holds barred brawler and shooter where no two fight sequences really look alike and there is no limit to just how brutal those moments will go. From a storytelling perspective I found the main character of Boy quite interesting, both deaf and mute he is very limited in how he can communicate through scenes as he finds new allies and enemies alike. He is also really firmly planted by the memory of his sister, even having an imaginary version of her as a child following and guiding him for most of the film. The world here is a very oddball dystopia setting with a militia/media mogul crime family at the head of the nation who are such fascinating characters in and of themselves. Watching Boy navigate this place as he reconnects with civilisation is a nice method for bringing the audience along for the ride. Boy Kills World is a bit of a grim beast at times, but it tends to really land some strong use of humour. 

The camera really feels like it is running with the action in this, the way shots just glide through an action set piece is quite impressive. For the most part, the editing also manages to keep the frantic, adrenaline-pumping pace too. The big triumph for Boy Kills World is Ludvig Forsell's score, which was equal parts gritty, otherworldly and melodic in those moments where the choir kicked in. 'We Are the Revolution' certainly stood out as my favourite track.

 

Bill Skarsgård, who played Boy, was a really impressive physical role that still had so much to say with no dialogue; the way Skarsgård showed everything that was being said via voice-over flawlessly is a real credit to how deep he goes as a performer. Jessica Rothe, who played June27, is quite a rageful and impressive character when first introduced; but I love the motional bond we see her and Skarsgård build in a very short time. Michelle Dockery, who played Melanie Van Der Koy, is such a wild and unpredictable performer who always brings it; Dockery's control freak media mogul was so satirical and a scene-stealer. Brett Gelman, who played Gideon Van Der Koy, is more the dramatic backbone of this feature; Gelman feels so world-weary of this whole struggle and I loved seeing his character navigate that exhaustion. Isaiah Mustafa, who played Bennie, is a real hilarious minor point of the whole film; the way he puts such meaning into nothing but gibberish lines is a lot of fun. Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti, who played Young Boy, are quite understated performances in their own right but serve the film quite well; just the simple transition from innocent kid to something much more angry and unnatural is interesting. Quinn Copeland, who played Mina, is entirely one of the sweetest parts of the film; Copeland is the heart and the conscience of our leading role and very endearing to watch. H. Jon Benjamin, who voiced Boy, is really the driving force of the film; Benjamin's cartoonish voice really drives home the more pulpy action hero component of this film.

However, the best performance came from Sharlto Copley, who played Glen Van Der Koy. This was a role that absolutely dominated the first act and was still fresh in my mind by the end of the feature. Copley really goes to town on overselling the sleazy yet charismatic face of the Van Der Koy family. It's interesting to see how irrational and impulsive he gets under pressure, but also how quickly he wilts around his on-screen wife, Dockery. Copley's final scene where in a blubbery moment he switches sides is hilarious and speaks to the incredible levels of comedy he brought to this role.

This movie is very visceral and pushes the boundaries when it comes to the violent action on display, which gets very creative at times. Sadly, I did feel that Boy Kills World didn't always recognise when to restrain itself and reel things back in. There were some moments where things felt like they got gory for the sake of it, or instances where the envelope was pushed merely for shock value. I also enjoyed the third act plot twist for some reasons, but it did complicate the character of Boy and the two main antagonists in a way that felt rough and like more work could have gone into that moment.

The editing served well for most of the movie, but there were instances where those sharp cuts left a messy edge on the flow of some scenes. A lot of the visual effects looked pretty rough too.

Yayan Ruhian, who played the Shaman, has never really quite succeeded as an actor over a stunt performer in my eyes; Ruhian is just too simplistic with what he brings and all that results in is a rather stereotypical antagonist. Andrew Koji, who played Basho, is a role that is hard to slot into this whole thing; Koji just doesn't make me feel emotionally invested in Basho at any point beyond his last scene. Famke Janssen, who played Hilda Van Der Koy, gives one of the very worst performances of the film; watching Janssen really oversell the crazy aspect of her role is a hard watch in every scene she is in. Rolanda Marais, who played Boy's Imaginary Mother, is quite forgettable as the generic mother figure; she feels very undefined and doesn't serve the eventual plot twist very well.

This film is absolutely batshit crazy, which works wonders for it more often than not. I would give Boy Kills World a 7.5/10.