The Good Son (1993)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writer (WGA):

Ian McEwan (written by)

Release Date:

24 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

In a quiet town...In a comfortable home...In a perfect body...Evil can be as close as someone you love.

Plot:

A young boy stays with his aunt and uncle, and befriends his cousin who's the same age. But his cousin begins showing increasing signs of psychotic behavior.

Plot Keywords:

Jealousy | Young Boy | Aunt | Business Trip | Grief

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Macaulay Culkin	...	Henry Evans
Elijah Wood	...	Mark Evans
Wendy Crewson	...	Susan Evans
David Morse	...	Jack
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Wallace Evans
Jacqueline Brookes	...	Alice Davenport
Quinn Culkin	...	Connie Evans
Ashley Crow	...	Janice
Guy Strauss	...	Arizona Doctor
Keith Brava	...	Doctor in Blackport
Jerem Goodwin	...	Factory Worker
Andria Hall	...	Reporter
Bobby Huber	...	Axe Man
Mark Stefanich	...	Ice Man
Susan Hopper	...	Woman at Rescue

MPAA:

Rated R for acts of violence and terror involving a disturbed child.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #32478) | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Germany:16 | Ireland:15 | Norway:15 (theater release) | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Beverly, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The sight on Henry's crossbow is a hood ornament from a Buick Riviera.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Support cable visible in the shot where Susan is pushed off the cliff.

Quotes:

Henry: [Henry gives Mark a cigarette] Go on.
Mark: They give you cancer.
Henry: Who cares? You're gonna die anyway.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Murphy Brown: The Good Nephew (#7.21)" (1995)

Some excellent bits

An interesting idea: parents having to deal with a psychopathic child. Believe it or not, such a situation is not uncommon. And Culkin does an excellent job. His coolness, his sudden changes of approach without any apparent shifting of gears, his complete lack of emotional reaction - which have been interpreted by some reviewers as poor acting - are actually very realistic. Personally, I find his calm and apparently effortless demeanour more frightening than the ravings of the lunatics in many other horror films.

Unfortunately, the plot lacks all credibility. Certainly psychopaths are excellent con-men (in fact, they are the most typical con-men) but it is absurd to believe that a child like this could have covered his tracks so well that his parents do not even suspect that there is something wrong with him. Even more ridiculous is that his behaviour towards his little sister - whom he hates enough to try to kill her - has been so good in the past that she trusts him completely. The cliches of the over-dramatic ending are also a bit much. A pity, because there is much of value in the film.