The Boy (2016)

Directed by William Brent Bell. Starring Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, Diana Hardcastle, Ben Robson, Jim Norton, James Russell, (voice) Stephanie Lemelin. [PG-13]

American Cohan travels to a remote English country house to act as nanny for the child of elderly Hardcastle and Norton, but upon arrival, she discovers that the little boy, Brahms, is actually a creepy doll, a “replacement” for the child they lost many years ago. Weak scares, a late-game revelation that can be guessed pretty easily, and inadvertent goofiness hampers this otherwise competently-made horror pic. It’s not hard to enjoy on the laugh-at-the-screen level, however, and remains sufficiently involving considering the inherent repetitiveness of its fright tactics (i.e., when Cohan isn’t looking, the doll changes positions or location). Regardless of how easily one swallows the story twist, the pitiful execution of said twist is what wraps everything up on a sour note. While it’s hard to say whether this makes the figure more horrifying or more fatuous, it’s worth pointing out that the Brahms doll bears a startling resemblance to real-life puppet-who-became-a-real-boy, Jared Kushner. Followed by a sequel—Brahms: The Boy II.

43/100