‘Boy Kills World’ Review: A Thrilling Revenge Tale with Stylish Action

If you’re seeking thrilling action scenes, Boy Kills World delivers sporadically, making it worth the price of admission. Notably, it features the talents of Yayan Ruhian, known for his role in the acclaimed action film The Raid. With Bill Skarsgård and Sam Raimi’s involvement, the film gains some initial credibility. However, Boy Kills World struggles to overcome its challenging aspects.

The action sequences, influenced by Southeast Asian cinema, showcase expert cinematography and choreography. Unfortunately, enduring an amateurish dystopian comedy-drama with thinly veiled political themes becomes necessary to reach these exhilarating moments. The disparity between director Moritz Mohr’s approach and the flourishes added by stunt coordinator Dawid Szatarski is evident, resulting in a collision of two contrasting styles.

While one half of this stylistic combination proves successful, the film lacks a solid foundation to stand on its own. Mohr’s attempts at drama, dialogue, and comedy frequently disrupt the momentum created by the brutal and satirical action scenes. As a result, Boy Kills World becomes a bumpy ride, with the action sequences serving as the highlight amid a jarring mix of storytelling elements.

“Boy Kills World” bears resemblances to a partially developed version of “The Hunger Games.”

“Boy Kills World” attempts to blend influences from Japanese anime and American young adult fiction, particularly “The Hunger Games,” but falls short of achieving a cohesive synthesis. The film revolves around the revenge-driven protagonist, Boy (Bill Skarsgård), trained in martial arts by a enigmatic shaman (Yayan Ruhian) since childhood. Boy’s mission is to take down the Van Der Koys, a media family ruling over the capital city and conducting ritualistic “culling” of civilians. Despite Boy’s inability to hear or speak, his inner voice, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin, provides a comedic narrative.

While the film initially incorporates comedic elements, including drug-fueled training montages and Boy’s interactions with his slain sister’s ghost (played by Quinn Copeland), it loses its footing as the plot progresses. The introduction of supporting villains, such as brothers-in-law Glen (Sharlto Copley) and Gideon Van Der Koy (Brett Gelman), brings about half-baked jokes lacking proper setup. As the movie’s world-building weakens, the social dynamics and political implications remain underdeveloped. The fascist Van Der Koys, portrayed as white and employing a predominantly white police force, oppress non-white extras without delving into the significance of these power dynamics.

Director Moritz Mohr shows little interest in exploring the political imagery and its implications, leaving the audience disconnected from the ideas presented. “Boy Kills World” aims to be a mindless entertainment experience, but fails to consistently engage the primal instincts of its viewers.

“Boy Kills World” is a comedy-drama that suffers from significant flaws and lacks coherence in its execution.

“Boy Kills World” attempts to incorporate comedic elements through the internal monologue of the protagonist, Boy, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin. While Benjamin’s comic timing is notable, the film fails to fully capitalize on his talent. Boy, who can read lips due to his hearing impairment, provides wry observations for the audience, serving as an amusing anchor for the story. Bill Skarsgård, known for his terrifying portrayal of Pennywise the Clown, relies on his expressive eyes to guide viewers through the film’s rapid-fire jokes, even if not all of them land successfully. Skarsgård’s performance largely consists of reaction shots, often reacting to his own sarcastic remarks.

However, “Boy Kills World” falls short in meaningfully incorporating disability into its narrative. The film does not explore the significance of Boy’s lip-reading abilities or his hearing impairment, rendering it an uninteresting aspect of the overall drama. The movie takes Boy’s lip-reading for granted, with little consideration for how his viewpoint would impact his interactions with others. While he absorbs information effortlessly, the hearing impairment does not contribute significantly to the plot, resulting in missed opportunities for engaging storytelling. The film briefly employs a funny gag involving a cheese grater, which transitions smoothly into intense action. However, this comedic moment does not shed light on Boy’s existence in the world he navigates or his communication with the people he encounters.

The disjointed storytelling approach of “Boy Kills World” undermines its potential charms and overall appeal.

The film’s reliance on mundane dialogue as a storytelling device proves to be a hindrance, as it fails to maintain a compelling or coherent narrative. The audience is left in the dark about the true nature and actions of the senior members of the Van Der Koy family, as well as their oppressive rule, until these details suddenly become relevant to the plot. This lack of meaningful establishment hampers the audience’s understanding of the world and its dynamics.

One example of this is the introduction of a Hunger Games-like TV broadcast, which serves as a central element of the world. However, its inclusion feels abrupt and lacks the necessary build-up to evoke a sense of fear or anticipation. Instead, it appears as an afterthought, failing to have the desired impact.

Furthermore, the film’s plot twists suffer from the weak characterization and flimsy character dynamics. While the reveals may be understandable on a surface level, they lack a solid foundation in terms of character development and motivations. As a result, the audience is left grappling with plot implications rather than being emotionally invested in the personal betrayals or character arcs. The film prioritizes “what” is happening over the crucial aspects of “who,” “how,” and “why,” leaving the audience with a sense of confusion and a lack of deeper engagement.

In moments of action, “Boy Kills World” manages to briefly come alive and engage the audience. Similar to a video game transitioning from a lengthy cut scene to its gameplay mechanics, the film’s action sequences provide a temporary boost of energy and excitement. These moments may showcase the film’s strengths, such as well-executed choreography or thrilling set pieces, which can momentarily captivate the viewers. However, it is important to note that these bursts of vitality are often fleeting and fail to compensate for the overall shortcomings of the film’s storytelling and character development.