iBoy
After a teenage Londoner survives a shooting with smartphone fragments embedded in his brain, he turns digital superpowers against the gang that attacked his friend.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- grim
- paranoid
- tense
- late night thriller viewing
- young adult sci-fi marathon
What critics said
Critics found the smartphone-powered superhero premise inventive and praised Maisie Williams, but broadly viewed the film as clichéd, overly serious, and unevenly executed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tom's brain acquires abilities after smartphone fragments lodge in his body, making technology central to his transformation.
Tom's revenge campaign unfolds around a London high school, housing areas, criminal networks, and everyday digital infrastructure.
Tom uses his new powers to target the gang responsible for the violent attack on Lucy.
Tom's smartphone-derived abilities connect his perception and actions to digital technology and communication systems.
Films like iBoy, and why
Chronicle
shares a teen superhero premise, technological empowerment, and a revenge-driven confrontation with violent criminals
Code 8
shares young-adult science fiction, socially grounded superhero abilities, and a protagonist pursuing dangerous vigilante justice
Attack the Block
shares a British urban setting, teenage alienation, gang violence, and a young protagonist transformed into an avenger
Upgrade
shares a technologically enhanced protagonist, crime-thriller momentum, and a darker take on superhero vigilantism
Movie Details
- Director
- Adam Randall
- Release Date
- 2017-01-27
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (1244)
Cast
- Bill Milner
- Maisie Williams
- Rory Kinnear
- Miranda Richardson
- Jordan Bolger
- Charley Palmer Rothwell
- Helen Daniels
- Aymen Hamdouchi
- Christopher Colquhoun
- Adam Lazarus
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is iBoy about?
- After a teenage Londoner survives a shooting with smartphone fragments embedded in his brain, he turns digital superpowers against the gang that attacked his friend.
- What is iBoy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of iBoy as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is iBoy violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in iBoy as brutal.
- What did critics think of iBoy?
- Critics found the smartphone-powered superhero premise inventive and praised Maisie Williams, but broadly viewed the film as clichéd, overly serious, and unevenly executed.
- Which films are like iBoy?
- Films with a similar feel include Chronicle, Code 8, Attack the Block, and Upgrade.
- How long is iBoy?
- iBoy runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch iBoy?
- In United States, iBoy streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
