The Boy (2016)
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An American nanny is hired to care for a doll that the owners treat as their real son.
The story
Greta Evans, an American traveling in the United Kingdom, is hired as a nanny by the elderly Heelshires. The couple introduces Greta to her charge, a doll named Brahms, which they treat as if it were their real son. They coach Greta on taking care of Brahms and their house while they are on holiday. Greta initially ignores the rules, but after experiencing strange events and learning about the doll's dark history, she begins to take her responsibilities seriously. She soon realizes that the doll only moves when she is not in the room, leading her to believe the child's spirit is possessing it.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Greta Evans, an American traveling in the United Kingdom, is hired as a nanny by the elderly Heelshires to care for their house and a doll named Brahms, whom they treat as their real son. While Greta initially ignores the rules, she learns from the local 'grocery boy,' Malcolm, that the real Brahms died in a fire 20 years ago. After experiencing strange occurrences—including vanishing jewelry and a child's voice—Greta begins to follow the rules, believing the doll is possessed. The Heelshires eventually write a goodbye letter and drown themselves. When Greta's abusive ex-boyfriend Cole arrives, he discovers a message in blood and smashes the doll. This causes the house to shake, and the real Brahms—a full-grown man who had been hiding in the walls wearing a doll mask—emerges and kills Cole. Greta and Malcolm flee into a wall cavity where they find Brahms' room. Brahms knocks out Malcolm, but Greta manages to escape and returns to save him. She forces Brahms to bed, uses a requested kiss as a distraction to stab him, and they escape. In a final scene, someone is seen repairing the doll.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- United States; China
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- William Brent Bell
- Writers
- Stacey Menear · writer; Stacey Menear · screenwriter
- Cast and characters
- Lauren Cohan · Greta Evans; Rupert Evans · Malcolm; Jim Norton · Mr. Heelshire; Diana Hardcastle · Mrs. Heelshire; Ben Robson · Cole; Stephanie Lemelin · voice of Sandy; Jett Klyne · young Brahms Heelshire; James Russell · adult Brahms Heelshire
- Genres
- horror; psychological horror
- Themes
- childhood trauma; possession; grief
- Tone and mood
- supernatural; creepy; scary
- Premise and plot tags
- nanny; doll; supernatural; horror
- Franchise connections
- The Boy
- Reception
- The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, with some calling it 'tepid' and 'pedestrian,' while others found it 'creepy and clever.' It was a financial success, grossing over seven times its budget.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 10
- Production trivia
- Filming took place at Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia.; The film grossed $4.051 million in home video sales.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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