An action revenge comedy full of bloody violence is a formula for an entertaining flick. Director Moritz Mohr’s new film Boy Kills World has a lot that fits the mold to make it mostly successful. The cast and the familiar premise work best, but there is a little too much style at times that doesn’t fully coalesce.
A boy is left deaf and mute after watching his family be murdered. He is rescued and then trained by a mysterious shaman in the jungle. Now, as the culling day again approaches, this boy – now grown (and played by Bill Skarsgård) – seeks revenge.
Skarsgård gives an incredible performance in this film. It seems like he is doing a lot of the action – or at least is convincing at selling it. It is also a silent performance, other than his inner monologue that’s voiced by H. Jon Benjamin. Much of the movie’s humor is derived from this, and the manifestation of his little sister played by Quinn Copeland. It’s a combination of Benjamin’s words and Skarsgård’s physical reaction to his thoughts that somehow work to great comedic effect.
However, this is a revenge movie with a zany twist – but at some point, the action takes over the comedy. The voiceover is mostly abandoned later in the film, as the stakes escalate and the story unfolds. While it makes sense to shift the tone at this point, there are elements of the story that recontextualize the film, and make my feelings about it a little mixed.
Overall, the story and the characters draw you in, as the Van Der Koys are clearly evil (demonstrated by the culling). The family is composed of some big talent including Famke Janssen, Michelle Dockery, Brett Gelman, and Sharlto Copley. Jessica Rothe plays the head of the security forces for the family, who is a real badass in the action sequences. There are elements to the family construction and the story that remind of Repo! The Genetic Opera. The audience gets why the boy wants to kill them, and how it makes sense that his fighting inspires a few rebels, played by Andrew Koji and Isaiah Mustafa. Yet, the aforementioned issues in the later parts of the story still hold it back a little.
The other elements that held the film back from being a total blast is the CG blood and frequently over-the-top cinematography. There are obviously practical reasons to use CG blood over the old-school fake stuff, but there is something about the tactile fake blood that just works so much more. As for the cinematography, there are times when the camera flies around and seems reminiscent of Kingsman: The Secret Service type action camera work. While this can add some energy to a scene, it just starts to feel like a gimmick when used too much. Plus, audiences want to see the action – and often the editing needed to stitch the shots together, which makes the action moments feel disjointed.
Fortunately, Boy Kills World has enough positives to make it worth your time. There is some wild action and some genuinely funny moments. The cast is great, and they give it their all. Some may find more issues with where the story ends up, but the journey is worth the ride.
Boy Kills World will be in theaters on April 26.
Rating: Decent Watch.
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