I don’t know if a film in recent memory has validated its title more than Boy Kills World.
Boy Kills World tells the story of Boy (Bill Skarsgard), a young man who vows revenge after the slaughter of his family. Having watched them die at the hands of the tyrannical Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen), Boy trains relentlessly with revenge in his soul. Deaf and voiceless, Boy is driven forward by his inner monologue as he trains relentlessly with his Shaman to fuel (Yayan Ruhian) his bloody quest. Finally, on the eve of the annual culling of dissidents, the Boy is unleashed upon Hilda and her minions, leaving a trail of blood-letting in his wake.
Directed by Moritz Mohr, Boy Kills World is brutal, bloody and so, so much fun. While the film easily earns its R-rating, one can’t deny the sense of play that’s embedded within every knife and gun fight. With fierce action, Boy Kills World is not short on shots fired or severed limbs. As a revenge tale set within a post-apocalyptic world, the film feels like the love child of John Wick and The Hunger Games. But the inevitable comparisons in setting are where the similarities end. This is a film that rejoices in its own ridiculousness. With a wink and a gun, this is a film that features killer who wears a digital sign as a mask, a narrator inspired by a video game and a murderous tv show that’s sponsored by a breakfast cereal. (“You have no idea how hard it is get breakfast cereals to sign off on that,” we’re told.)
In short, this is a film that seems to have no rules. And it works.
The film features some strong work from Rothe, Gelman, Copley and Janssen but the physicality of its action rides on the skills of Skarsgard. With fire in his belly, Skarsgard attacks these scenes with fury. Although he speaks no dialogue, Skarsgard undergirds his character’s strength with a certain fragility that keeps him accessible. The Boy may have revenge on his mind but he’s no Terminator. Skarsgard is able to communicate the soul of his character through his eyes, even as he’s breaking limbs.
But, even so, the true star of the film is its voiceover. Speaking to us from the mind of Boy, H. John Benjamin’s work leans against the tropes of other unseen narrators with sass and a snarl. Yes, there’s a certain level of bravado to his character. However, despite his killer nature, there’s also an innocence to the Boy and that leads to confusion and, at times, silliness. Benjamin’s unhinged point of view is an absolute joy. Whether he’s misreading the lips of Isaiah Mustafa’s brutal Bennie or attempting to psyche himself up for the fight, Boy’s inner voice is constantly trying to understand the gravity of events that unfold around him but still feels like the confused voice of a child.
And it’s that innocence that helps us care about this Boy.
Having lost his family at a young age, his trauma may be his ‘origin’ story but it’s still not why we care about him. Instead, the viewer’s empathy for Boy builds as his attempts to reconcile the love within him with the human weapon that he’s been shaped to be. Skarsgard ensures that, despite the fury of his vengeance, we still see the boy inside this Boy. Tormented by visions of his young sister, Boy continues to struggle with his own inner darkness. Regardless of his age, we know that part of his soul is still frozen back on that fateful day when all was lost.
I admit that I often look for deeper meaning within the stories we reflect upon. However, to overstate the depth of Boy Kills World strangely feels like an injustice to it. Yes, there are messages about the nature of family and dealing with trauma, but Mohr seems disinterested in truly unpacking them. (Even the fact that the film features a hero that’s deaf and mute is a bit of a missed opportunity to explore the empowerment of those with disabilities.) Instead, Mohr’s focus remains entirely on film’s chaotic carnage.
But, for that reason, Boy Kills World absolutely slays.
Boy Kills World is available in theatres on Friday, April 26th, 2024.
