With their latest effort, writers/directors James Grim (Halloween: The Devil's Autumn) and Braden Timmons (The Haddonfield Nightmare), offer a feature-length Friday the 13th story akin to a reboot; it neither changes nor expands upon established arcs from previous entries - it's very much a simplistic picture, married to the complexities of striving to move forward whilst grappling with the ostensibly indelible stains of the past.
Just as the aforementioned directors work to rebuild the legacy of Friday the 13th, (going back to the initial premise of a grieving mother and, for all intents and purposes, a 'Special Boy'), the protagonist (portrayed by Timmons) works to rebuild he and his family's reputation, feeling to blame for the tragic and terrifying events of the past.
The story, thought up by Grim and Chad Sumner (Elias Voorhees/Jason Voorhees), takes nothing away from the original film and its sequels. In fact, My Special Boy fits decently within its legacy, with subtle references throughout. Something I'm personally appreciative of is the fact there's an actual story. Fan features are so prevalent and ubiquitous that it's admittedly difficult to tell one from the other at times, but My Special Boy is one which certainly stands out. It feels more like a character study, as opposed to a masturbatory gore gag reel.
Jason and Pamela (Gia Rose) sharing scenes is a neat idea; to Jason's mind, he could be the protagonist, avenging both he and his mother's untimely demises. Crystal Lake (now Camp Trinity Pointe) has since become Jason's home. The counselors are trespassers, people seeking to do harm to Jason. Maybe Jason believes himself to be the good guy, not some evil serial killer seeking revenge.
The acting isn't bad. I've certainly seen worse (I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, Terror Train (2022), UHF). If anything, there's scenes here and there in which some of the talent seem unsure of themselves, but there's admirable effort in performing and putting themselves into their roles.
Pacing isn't an issue as My Special Boy is edited remarkably well, and it's complimented by a good score composition and some terrific camera work. The script is pretty decent, with merely a few snags.
Overall, My Special Boy gets 10 out of 10 stars for the genuine care and effort put into every single facet of Motion Picture guerilla film making. This isn't shot like a TikTok video outside of a Spirit Halloween with some kid's dad's hockey mask; this is pure dedication to the craft. Thought has gone into location, direction, storytelling, acting, cinematography, camera movements and angles - and even costume designs. The death scenes are done well, with good makeup FX. There are moments in which Jason is portrayed similarly to what's come before, but the performance has unique moments that make it its own, which is perfect for a reboot.
Its backers should be proud of the commitment and delivery of My Special Boy. Each department truly displays effort, passion, talent, and drive, and it's precisely what mainstream Motion Picture studios ought to take into consideration whilst scoping for new talent.
