Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- foreboding
- claustrophobic
- late night horror marathon
- haunted house double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film's creepy premise and committed performances undermined by a pedestrian story and routine jump scares.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Greta's assigned child is a life-sized doll whose apparent agency drives the mystery and escalating terror.
The remote English mansion and its strict domestic routines create the film's dominant atmosphere of confinement.
The Heelshires' treatment of the doll is tied to their effort to cope with and conceal the history of their dead son.
Rules, noises, disappearances, and inexplicable disturbances transform nanny work and household rituals into persistent dread.
Films like The Boy, and why
Annabelle
shared creepy doll premise, isolated mansion setting, jump-scare horror, and escalating supernatural ambiguity
The Awakening
shared secluded English country-house atmosphere, domestic menace, psychological horror, and hidden family secrets
The Orphanage
shared child-centered horror, isolated domestic setting, supernatural dread, and disturbing family trauma
The Others
shared eerie mansion, seemingly impossible disturbances, repressed family history, and gothic thriller atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- William Brent Bell
- Release Date
- 2016-01-22
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (4029)
Cast
- Lauren Cohan
- Rupert Evans
- James Russell
- Jim Norton
- Diana Hardcastle
- Ben Robson
- Jett Klyne
- Lily Pater
- Matthew Walker
- Stephanie Lemelin
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Boy about?
- A stranded nanny caring for a life-sized doll in an isolated English mansion confronts a family secret that may have become terrifyingly real.
- What is The Boy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Boy as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Boy violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Boy as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Boy?
- Critics broadly found the film's creepy premise and committed performances undermined by a pedestrian story and routine jump scares.
- Which films are like The Boy?
- Films with a similar feel include Annabelle, The Awakening, The Orphanage, and The Others.
- How long is The Boy?
- The Boy runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Boy?
- In United States, The Boy is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
