The Boy (2016)★★★☆☆

I really wanted this movie to be good, because I love creepy doll stories and the trailer made it look awesome. And it wasn’t bad. But it could have been better.

The cast was probably the best part of the movie. Well, okay. Lauren Cohan was great as Greta, and the rest of the cast was just fine supporting her. The scenery was also beautiful and terrifying, a combination I love.

The music was a bit much at times. I hate it when the music is louder than the dialogue. I also hate it when the music is way too over the top for the moment. Don’t rely solely on music to tell me how I should feel!

I also think the pacing in particular could have been done better. I felt like the build up to the climactic ending was too slow, meaning that everything after the (not entirely) surprising reveal felt rushed. And as you might have guessed, the reveal itself wasn’t all that surprising. I suppose there were really only two ways this movie could have gone.

I don’t know if I think the other route would have been more or less terrifying. Perhaps the ending wouldn’t have felt so rushed in that case. But it wasn’t a bad ending, and everything made sense in the end.

This movie has its moments (and its jump scares), but it’s not that scary or that great. It’s worth a watch, but probably when you’re doing something else at the same time.