It's not uncommon for two movies with very similar premises to be released close to each other, but it is uncommon for two movies with very different premises but the exact same name to be released close to each other. Hot on the heels of doggy haunted house movie Good Boy comes twisted British thriller Good Boy, which has just received its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.
There might be no such fears here about whether the dog is going to die, but Good Boy will still have you utterly gripped as its weird tale plays out. Part Adolescence, part A Clockwork Orange and part Yorgos Lanthimos, it's a morality tale as dark as it comes and one that delights in unfolding in ways you never expect.
Anchored by terrific performances from British acting royalty Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough, with a strong break-out turn from MobLand's Anson Boon, the excellent Good Boy is unlike any thriller you've seen this year.
We're introduced to 19-year-old Tommy (Boon) on a night out, an archetype of the worst-case scenario when people talk of the 'youth of today'. He's unapologetic in his crassness during a bender that includes copious amounts of alcohol and drugs, cheating on his girlfriend right in front of her, along with some public urination.
It's a night out that ends with him knocked out and waking up chained in the basement of a remote country house in the north of England. His captor is the seemingly meek Chris (Graham), intent on showing Tommy the error of his ways and transforming him into the titular "good boy".
Naturally, Tommy doesn't take too kindly to it, but he quickly discovers that, as polite as Chris seems (as captors go), he has a violent side when it's necessary. But just when you think Good Boy is about to go down a much darker route, Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid's script avoids the obvious for something more complex.
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Tommy finds himself part of a very dysfunctional family that includes Chris's wife Kathryn (Riseborough), their son Jonathan (Kit Rakusen) and, eventually, their new housekeeper Rina (Monika Frajczyk). It's fascinating watching them interact, as you're never quite sure of their intentions in any interaction.
Kathryn appears initially as a cowed wife, but turns out to be even more terrifying than Chris, especially in one harrowing smoking scene. Jonathan seems fairly chill about having somebody locked up in the home, but is it because he's scared what his parents will do to him or is it because it's happened before?
There are enough hints peppered throughout about why Chris might be doing this to Tommy, but it's never spelled out for the audience. If there's a complaint to be made, it's that while Rina serves a purpose as the audience's introduction into Chris and Kathryn's odd family life, her subplot is underdeveloped and eventually thrown away.
Tommy being confronted with his awful social-media videos, including bullying, will draw Adolescence comparisons with the role of social media in today's society, but there are other aspects that will allow for rich post-viewing discussion. Is a lack of freedom just what Tommy needed to 'fix' him? At times, you'll find yourself genuinely believing Chris's dark plan is actually helping Tommy for real.
It all makes for a compelling genre blend of dark thriller, absurdist comedy and thought-provoking drama that you won't be able to look away from. Tommy might not yet be a good boy, but Good Boy is an extremely good movie.
Good Boy does not yet have a UK release date, but will be released via Signature Entertainment.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
