Kill Boy

I got the chance to see this movie early at an AMC Unseen Screen event -- and considering I was walking in thinking they were going to show the new Amy Winehouse biopic -- I was pleasantly surprised when we got our opening shots and realized I was in for a much different ride than I'd previously anticipated.

My immediate reaction is to compare Boy Kills World to John Wick -- it's certainly just as bloody. But the continuous underlying thread of humor throughout this movie juxtaposed with the gratuitous violence puts it more into the realm of Bullet Train in my mind.

Bill Skarsgård's physical acting paired with H. Jon Benjamin's voice acting was a matchup I never knew I needed in my life. There were several times where I genuinely laughed out loud -- even when the next scene was a quick crash to someone getting their head smooshed. They did a great job blending the action with the comedy while still getting you to care about the main character and his plight.

Definitely not for the weak of heart or stomach -- but if you're looking for a bloody fun romp through absolute mayhem that doesn't require much from you as a viewer, then you've found your film. I just saw it last night and I still say I'd for sure go see it again, even so soon after viewing.

Boy Kills World is a total blast. A winning combination of brutal violence and weird humour tied together in a story that does enough to make you care about the characters. It moves efficiently, has some clever twists and an unforgettable fight involving a cheese grater. Like all the best action comedies, the zany humour disguises the beating heart at the centre.

Bill Skarsgård proves he doesn't need dialogue to communicate. He can do so much with just his eyes and the fact that it all syncs up really well with H. Jon Benjamin's suitably over the top voice over is just a bonus. Plus he has an adorable rapport with Quinn Copeland. Andrew Koji isn't given a chance to show off his physical prowess but is given the time to show how surprisingly great he is at comedy.

Mortiz Mohr's direction nails the balance between self awareness and sincerity, translating some of the language of video games to cinema effectively. With cinematography by Peter Matjasko, the camera moves with the action rather than against it. It's always fluid and bloody inventive, saving the best fight for last. It's the kind of final fight where the choreography is impeccable, the blows are nasty and it goes on for so long it's exhausting in the best ways.

Well, if you enjoy movies with a lot of emphasis on raw action, gunfights and martial arts, such as "John Wick" for example, then you're in luck if you opt to sit down and watch the 2023 movie "Boy Kills World". Director Moritz Mohr delivered a movie that was rather action-packed from start to end.

The storyline in the movie was pretty straightforward, though a bit simplistic, as it was a simple revenge movie. But then again, action movies such as this doesn't really need a complex or cerebral narrative. Nay, you just lean back, munch on the snacks and enjoy the over-the-top action. Writers Tyler Burton Smith, Arend Remmers and Moritz Mohr put together a fast paced action flick.

And over-the-top action is exactly what "Boy Kills World" is. There is an abundance of fight scenes, which I have to admit that I definitely enjoyed. It was choreographed quite nicely and executed nicely as well. So it was like watching a ballet of action and violence. And I have to say that Bill Skarsgård definitely carried the movie quite well.

The movie does have a good cast ensemble, with the likes of Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, Brett Gelman, Yayan Ruhian, Sharlto Copley and Famke Janssen. And the acting performances in the movie were good.

Something I didn't really enjoy in the movie, and it was there from start to end, was the voice over done by H. Jon Benjamin to give the mute and deaf character Boy an internal voice. I grew very tired of listening to that rather quickly. But of course that is a matter of personal preference.

Visually then "Boy Kills World" is good. The action is nicely brought to the screen in a very dynamic and adrenaline-filled manner, and the special effects look good as well. The wardrobe department also worked their magic quite well in the movie.

I will say that I was rather surprised with the outcome of this movie, because I wasn't expecting a Bill Skarsgård movie to be that much in your face. And I have to say that I was genuinely entertained throughout the entire 111 minutes that the movie ran for.

However, "Boy Kills World" hardly seems like a movie that will make it to my screen a second time, as there just isn't enough contents to the script to make it a movie that I will be watching a second time.

My rating of "Boy Kills World" lands on a well-deserved seven out of ten stars.

Here we are in 2024 with another revenge film. I had just seen Monkey Man over a month ago, a revenge film which I also enjoyed.

Boy Kills World was already on my radar, before watching Monkey Man, but I didn't think I would be in a situation where I would be comparing the two. Until now, after watching Boy Kills World.

Without spoilers, both men go through a similar journey of a traumatic event happening in their childhood. With Monkey Man being more of a drama and Boy Kills World being more of a comedy.

However, I will say Boy Kills World has a more creative narrative structure and stronger choreography than Monkey Man. It also has replay value, I will definitely watch Boy Kills World again, much sooner than revisiting Monkey Man.

Somehow the movie manages to be as original as it is predictable. The actors are great, the action and stunts are top notch, there's some decent comedy and I could listen to H. J Benjamin's smooth voice read a dictionary so he did a phenomenal job as Boys narrator. BUT the overall story is as predictable as it can get, and you could guess the twists after about 10 minutes. It's so strange, it's like everyone was giving it 100% except for the plot. There's a glimmer of a better movie in here, and maybe this screenwriter will hit their stride a few years. But overall they held the movie back by sticking to basic plot formulas even though the dialogue is snappy and original.

Ever since The Raid I've been a HUGE fan of Yayan Ruhian (who plays "the shaman") so I'll watch any movie he's in or does the fight choreography for. I expected nothing less than wild & unique action and I was definitely satisfied in that regard. There's some slick directing that works well with the fight choreo and Bill Skarsgård does a good job stunt wise.

You do have to accept the good guy will live through impossible circumstances, the bad guys will have stormtrooper level aim, and the plot (and its twists) are predictable but overall I still found watching it pretty enjoyable.