Boy Kills World (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – A dystopian fever dream action film that follows Boy, a deaf mute with a vibrant imagination. When his family is murdered, he is trained by a mysterious shaman to repress his childish imagination and become an instrument of death.

My Take – I think we can all agree that blood drenched, hyper violent action films are seeing a complete resurgence currently. Though the martial arts revenge action thriller sub-genre actually never went away, the John Wick franchise allowed it to change form, while following incarnations added slapstick comedy to balance the violence, leading to some really excellent action comedies.

Hence, it doesn’t come as a surprise that a month following the excellent yet under-seen Dev Patel directorial, Monkey Man, we have yet another revenge tale that is set in a world that seems inspired by both The Hunger Games and John Wick franchises and sees Bill Skarsgård test his action-hero skills in a gory cartoonish thriller that is determined to become a cult flick.

Produced by Sam Raimi, this feature directorial debut from Moritz Mohr uses inspiration from a bunch of graphic novels, video games and anime to create a violent ride for action junkies, while managing to set itself apart with its brutal style and bloody approach. Brimmed with mind blowing action/fight sequences, the film easily earns its R-rating.

Yes, the film could have worked better with a more refined plot and a better screenplay, as it does drag the whole experience down by a notch, nevertheless, it seems comfortable with its own standing and one can’t deny the sense of play that’s embedded within every knife and gun fight.

This is a film that rejoices in its own ridiculousness by featuring a killer who wears a digital sign as a mask, a narrator inspired by a video game and a breakfast cereal sponsored murderous reality TV show.

Set in a dystopian city, the story follows a deaf-mute man known only as Boy (Bill Skarsgård) who possesses a vivid imagination and is driven by his inner voice (H. Jon Benjamin), one which he co-opted from his favorite childhood video game.

Living in the woods, for years, Boy has been training relentlessly under the cruel tutelage of the Shaman (Yayan Ruhian) to become an unparalleled fighter, to deliver his steely resolve for revenge on the Van Der Koy family. Led by the ruthless Hilda van der Koy (Famke Janssen) and her bickering siblings, the family rules the sprawling city with an iron fist and use an event called “The Culling Day” to quiet dissent through public executions staged with theatrical flair.

While Hilda’s brother, Gideon (Brett Gelman), constructs fiendish plots under the direction of their sister, Melanie (Michelle Dockery), the true brains behind the whole operation runs the show and Glen (Sharlto Copley), Melanie’s witless trophy husband, serves as a TV host and ringmaster for the slaughter.

The Boy remembers watching his mother and beloved little sister, Mina, brutally murdered on Culling Day and is determined to annihilate the Van Der Koys at all costs. With their lethal enforcer, June 27 (Jessica Rothe) standing in the way, and the latest Culling just about to begin, the Boy unleashes a war that leaves a trail of blood-letting in his wake.

Undoubtedly, from the moment the Boy infiltrates the higher sections of this dystopian society, things escalate more and more until the climax leaves you at the edge of your seat and nearly exhausted from the battles he has faced.

Yet, the action is the true star here, as it takes center stage in every scene and the film never fails to entertain with these absolute wacky fight sequences that continue to help make it feel unique. The creative variety of weapons, from a cheese grater to a giant cereal mascot, is matched only by the precise stunt choreography that ensures every battle packs the necessary punch.

The film is abundantly silly, but the craft behind the action is serious business and impeccably realized. The film even dips well into the comedic side of things. As the Boy has no memory of what he used to sound like he has replaced his inner voice with that of a fighting video game announcer from an old arcade game he used to play with his sister.

While Skarsgård hands out the punches, kicks and gunshots with a flurry of facial expressions, H. Jon Benjamin delivers a plethora of awkward one liners of an immature mind trying to make sense of everything that’s unfolding around him.

While the plot is straightforward for the most part, in the third act it completely throws you off with the plot twist that lands awkwardly. A plot twist that isn’t predictable and one where no hints are provided to you, and if there were, I wasn’t able to notice them. Thankfully, without allowing anyone to truly grasp how it completely changes the whole meaning of the film, it jumps into a climax battle that is indeed brutal and free of everything that was holding it back.

Performance wise, Bill Skarsgård‘s physical acting paired with H. Jon Benjamin‘s voice acting is an excellent match up. Skarsgård is absolutely shredded in a highly physical, nuanced performance. His towering, lean frame looks etched out of stone as he punches, kicks, and shoots everything. While Benjamin gives light to his wounded and thoughtful disposition. Jessica Rothe too adds on the carnage and gets to show off her physicality in the action scenes.

Yahan Ruhian continues to be truly deadly. Michelle Dockery, Brett Gelman, a scene-stealing Sharlto Copley, Andrew Koji, Isaiah Mustafa, and Famke Janssen make for an entertaining cast who deliver with unapologetic pride. On the whole, ‘Boy Kills World’ is a bloody unapologetic full-throttle action romp that delivers sufficient mayhem.