Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: 7/9/2024
Rating: R
Film Grade: A-
The Story: Twenty-something Boy has trained for most of his young life to be an assassin despite being both deaf and mute. His target: Hilda Van Der Koy, head of the Van Der Koy family that ruthlessly controls an unnamed autocratic city nestled in a remote jungle.
Each year, twelve people are selected for a ritualistic ceremony known as The Culling. They’re executed in front of the televised masses to keep the remaining citizenry in line. It was at one of those very events that Boy was robbed of his family, only to find himself in the care of a mysterious man known as the Shamen. Conditioned through a dubious combination of rigorous physical training and hallucinogens, Boy has become the perfect instrument shaped for a single purpose: To kill Hilda Van Der Koy.
Now, on the 25th anniversary of the first Culling, it is time for him to act and extract his revenge.
My Take: Wow, this movie came out of nowhere! I had barely heard of it and knew nothing about it. (Where was the marketing?) It turned out that going in cold with zero expectations was a fantastic way to watch it unfold.
I’m going to be intentionally light on plot details here so as to not spoil the fun. It’s a mix of genres, from video games to comic books to revenge tales. Tonally, it’s akin to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Army of Darkness (less any supernatural or horror elements), Kick-Ass, and Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy, but not derivative of any of them. It’s a wonderfully absurd mix of black humor, extreme violence, and quirky characters blended into a fresh take on the typical revenge thriller.
This is the first feature for director Moritz Mohr and based on a story he created. He fills it with frantic action that perfectly captures the feel of a video game, but supplements it with Boy’s hilarious inner voice, one he imagines from his favorite arcade game. It’s a novel approach and adds a dimension not normally found in these kinds of movies.
The cast is perfect for this film. If you only know Bill Skarsgård from his role as It, you’ll be surprised at just how expressive and lively he is as the lanky and almost innocently naive Boy. His facial expressions silently display a range of emotions as the story unfolds. His voice is provided by H. Jon Benjamin (Bob, of Bob’s Burgers, Archer of Archer) with the perfect mix of bravado and confusion as Boy navigates his way through the story.
Yayan Ruhian gives Shaman an animalistic edge that percolates just below his role as the wizard-like mentor. Also worth mentioning is Quinn Copeland as the hallucinated vision of Boy’s sister, stuck at the age he last knew her. She gives the bit part a boost of lightheartedness and airiness that contrasts with the dire circumstances of the film. The entire cast looks like they had a complete blast filming this thing; each getting a chance to showcase their character at some point.
My one knock on the film is that some of the fight scenes go on a bit too long, a flaw shared among so many of the movies in this category.
Visuals: Active and engaging camerawork accompanies the wild plot. A drone was used to follow Boy through some of his parkour moves, providing a thrill for the audience. That drone work also extended to some of the fight scene shots, with the camera moving around the characters in the midst of the action, bringing close-up views that the audience typically never sees. It’s accompanied by a lot of hand-held shots, enhancing the frantic energy action.
The colors and contrast in the film are effectively captured, from the lush greens of the jungle forest to the depressing and dull feel of the city to the vivid and visceral blood and numerous wounds. This looks great on Blu-ray and I can only imagine how much better the 4K version will look.
Audio: Another win for the HT enthusiast community, as the Blu-ray comes with the Atmos soundtrack. Sampling various scenes, it makes use of both tops and sides, and for more than just the musical score. Although I’d like to see even greater use of those additional channels, this is an above-average mix. Guns sound good, and it features some of the best punch sound effects I’ve experienced.
The musical score features a variety of styles, with each fight scene getting its own distinct feel. It’s a fun addition to the movie and works well.
Special Features: - Total Bedlam: Making Boy Kills World
- Winter Wonderland
- F*****d Up Fairy Tale
- Martial Arts
- Bill Skarsgård Training
- Bill And Yayan
- Trailers
Final Verdict: I’m one of the people that finds that so many of today’s movies have the same look and feel to them, so it’s surprising when something new comes along that adds to a well-worn genre. Boy Kills World is an example of those exceptions.
More than just a typical action/revenge story, it weaves interesting characters into a twisting story that piles on the dead bodies and laughs. It’s not a movie for anyone put off by extreme violence, nor is it for those that don’t understand or appreciate dark humor and absurd situations. But for those looking for something soaked in those elements, it’s a fun, rewarding watch. It would be an absolute blast to share with a group of friends.
I wavered between scoring this as a B+ or an A- when working on this review. Going back over some of the scenes to check its technical features, I soon found myself absorbed back into the story, wanting to watch the entire thing again. That’s a rarity and bumped up the movie to an A-. I liked it so much, that I’ve gone ahead and ordered the 4K from Amazon, where it’s priced just $3 more than the standard Blu-ray at the time of this writing.
The movie was, sadly, a box office failure. I’m hopeful that it will find life from a new audience with this home release and that we’ll see much more from both Skarsgård and Mohr.
Fun Quote: The movie is filled with absurd quotes, but eliminating the ones with expletives makes it a little easier. This won’t make any sense out of context but represents of just how out-there the story is, “Oh, wait. Dodo buns are not fun.”
Here’s the trailer, but I advise against watching it as it gives away some of the key points of the movie:
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-93
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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