r96sk
May 17, 2023
7/10
Good stuff, this!
'The Boy Behind The Door' is one I'd recommend. There is much of it that I certainly enjoyed, even if there are still a couple of meh things too. I predominantly only hold positives, however.
The major one is young actors Lonnie Chavis and Ezra Dewey - both brilliant, especially Chavis during his more emotional scenes. Also, for the most part, the decision-making of their characters is pretty solid... smart, even. I like that, just because you have children onscreen it doesn't mean they should be fully dumbed down. The film, aside from one early scene iirc, avoids cheap jump scares too, which is always a plus.
I didn't rate the adult characters in this 2020 flick, as in the actors playing them and also just as characters in general. I would've preferred to have seen and/or known more about the antagonists, leaving them 'hidden' to elevate the horror didn't truly work for me if I'm honest - the anguish on the face of the kids is enough in that regard.