(Contains conceptual but not plot spoilers)
The Boy is a slow film because it needs to be. The audience is given much to think about. Ted is a 9 year old sociopath. What degree of that is due to his experiences and how much is down to his genetics is an open question for the audience to consider. It is set in the late 1980s, prior to the start of the pedophile panic in the mid-1990s so Ted gets the opportunity to interact with the guests, each of which he uses to further his goals. A modern audience will likely worry for his safety, but it quickly becomes clear that the guests are the ones who are unsafe as Ted uses his access and position of presumed powerlessness to get what he wants.
Like any sociopath, Ted is short on emotions. He is entirely goal-driven and utterly amoral in his pursuit of those goals. Other reviewers have described him as angry, but the only time he ever appears angry is when his father interferes with Teds goals. The rest of the time he is a typical sociopath with a flat affect, displaying no malice, anger, or any other emotion.
The classics are all there - abusing and killing animals, arson, manipulation, hurting other people just to see what happens, and unwavering pursuit of arbitrarily-chosen goals. Overall a chilling depiction of a sociopath and a warning to not expect moral restraint of their actions, regardless of their age.
The Boy is a slow film because it needs to be. The audience is given much to think about. Ted is a 9 year old sociopath. What degree of that is due to his experiences and how much is down to his genetics is an open question for the audience to consider. It is set in the late 1980s, prior to the start of the pedophile panic in the mid-1990s so Ted gets the opportunity to interact with the guests, each of which he uses to further his goals. A modern audience will likely worry for his safety, but it quickly becomes clear that the guests are the ones who are unsafe as Ted uses his access and position of presumed powerlessness to get what he wants.
Like any sociopath, Ted is short on emotions. He is entirely goal-driven and utterly amoral in his pursuit of those goals. Other reviewers have described him as angry, but the only time he ever appears angry is when his father interferes with Teds goals. The rest of the time he is a typical sociopath with a flat affect, displaying no malice, anger, or any other emotion.
The classics are all there - abusing and killing animals, arson, manipulation, hurting other people just to see what happens, and unwavering pursuit of arbitrarily-chosen goals. Overall a chilling depiction of a sociopath and a warning to not expect moral restraint of their actions, regardless of their age.