Revenge films have become a genre that we are seeing a lot of at the theaters lately. While the motive for getting revenge is different in each movie, one thing we are guaranteed to see is intense action that is amazing and over the top. Boy Kills World is another entry in revenge films and holds its own with an interesting main character, humor, and creative action sequences.
Our main character is just known as Boy, played by Bill Skarsgard. The boy does now speak but has H. Jon Benjamin for his inner voice and it is just as beautiful as you’d expect! The family was selected by Famke Janssen’s character, Hilda Van Der Koy to be executed for speaking against the family. It seems that there is an event called the Culling where the Van Der Koy’s execute anyone that speaks against them. Boy survives this execution and is taught by the Shaman, played by Yayan Ruhian, to get revenge for their death.
Like other revenge films the plot to this is pretty straightforward: You killed my family, prepare to die! The movie gives us the regular sequences that we see in other action movies. There is a training montage. We see the relationship between the master and student develop. The main character has flashbacks of his life before the incident and we see the student slowly start beating the master during training. Now while all of this has been done before, Boy Kills World adds its flair to it.
Now I have seen many training montages but never one where the master and student are roped together around the waist. I guess this helps with close combat but it was cool to see them train this way. Speaking of close combat, it looks like they are using a handheld camera in some of these moments because you feel like you are in the fight. The shaman is not as easy on Boy and beats him physically and mentally. The shaman keeps Boy in a drugged haze by blowing smoke in his face and berating him verbally. Some of these drug-induced trips are bizarre to look at but it helps us see what the boy is going through.
Since the boy is deaf and mute, Skarsgard relies on his facial expression to emote his feelings toward the audience. He is great at broadcasting his expression and using his eyes to read the lips of those around him. Since he does not talk, we hear his inner voice which gives this movie another level due to H. Jon Benjamin’s monotonous delivery. There are a lot of great lines thrown at the audience that multiple viewings might be needed to catch all of it. There is a great bit in the movie having to do with bad lip reading that will have you either laughing out loud or thinking this is the silliest thing you have ever seen.
There are a few twists in the movie that might be easy to spot but also might come as a surprise to the audience. This again is what makes Boy Kills World different from other revenge movies. The final fight scenes in the third act are brutal and you will be surprised how creative the team was with the weapons they used. From guns to knives to cheese graters and a carrot, the stunt team really throws everything into the fights and will have you wincing as these items are used. Seeing the fights between Boy and June 27, played by Jessica Rothe, is incredible and destructive at the same time. The film has a very brutal climax where the fights are turned up to another level. These fights will have you talking about them once the movie is done.
I do want to shout out to Brett Gelman who plays Gideon Van Der Koy. This man makes you either love or hate his characters within seconds on the screen. It is always fun to see him on screen and see how twisted a character he can be. Also, we need more Sharlto Copley in films. Earlier this year we hated him in Monkey Man and you will hate him in this too! I love it when actors are so great at portraying despicable characters.
Final Thoughts: Boy Kills World is another entry in the revenge films we have seen recently. The action in this movie is filmed up close and really pulls you into the fights. Bill Skarsgard keeps showing us his versatility in the roles he chooses and Boy is another memorable character in his cap. Boy Kills World is a feast for the eyes in terms of action, set pieces, and brutality! Make sure to stay after the credits.
Kid-Friendly: While the relationship Boy has with his sister, Mina, is great to see on the screen, the amount of violence is not suitable for younger kids. If your kids have seen John Wick or Monkey Man, they will fare well in watching this.
Violence: This movie is brimming with violence from the very beginning. Some of the violence is over the top and is just intense.
Skarsgård stars as “Boy” who vows revenge after his family is murdered by Hilda Van Der Koy (Janssen), the deranged matriarch of a corrupt post-apocalyptic dynasty that left the boy orphaned, deaf and voiceless. Driven by his inner voice, one which he co-opted from his favorite childhood video game, Boy trains with a mysterious shaman (Ruhian) to become an instrument of death and is set loose on the eve of the annual culling of dissidents. Bedlam ensues as Boy commits bloody martial arts mayhem, inciting a wrath of carnage and blood-letting. As he tries to get his bearings in this delirious realm, Boy soon falls in with a desperate resistance group, all the while bickering with the apparent ghost of his rebellious little sister.