Boy Kills World: when the predator elite murder serfs for fun on TV (scifi film trailer).
In the world of cinema, where the echo of gunshots often drowns out the sound of originality, dark future scifi film Boy Kills World arrives with a whisper rather than a bang—quite literally, given its protagonist’s condition. Moritz Mohr, a first-time director, dares to walk the precarious tightrope of action thrillers that aim to be both cerebral and explosive. It’s a debut that swings for the fences, or at least tries to, under the watchful eyes of producers Sam Raimi and Roy Lee.
Set to grace theaters across the United States on April 26th, 2024, Boy Kills World made its first mark at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, hinting at ambitions that stretch beyond the usual fare. Its premise is a cocktail of revenge, disability, and corporate scifi dystopia, shaken vigorously with a dash of mentorship from a mysterious shaman. Bill Skarsgård stars as Boy, a deaf-mute with a vendetta and a vibrant imagination, a combination as rare in the protagonist department as a quiet day in Gotham. Here, the predator elite murder serfs for fun on TV, kind of Hunger Games or The Running Man, but far less sporting.
The cast is a veritable who’s who of “they look familiar,” featuring Jessica Rothe, Yayan Ruhian, Isaiah Mustafa, and others, including the indomitable Famke Janssen and the ever-versatile Sharlto Copley. Filmed in the picturesque yet unlikely action movie locale of South Africa, the movie promises a visual feast, if nothing else.
The journey of Boy Kills World from pitch to premiere reads like a rollercoaster designed by a committee, complete with COVID-induced dropouts and last-minute cast shuffles. Originally a glint in the eye of Mohr and his co-writer Arend Remmers, the film was eventually birthed into existence with the help of Raimi Productions and Vertigo Entertainment, among others. The behind-the-scenes drama, involving Orion Pictures’ pandemic pivot and Samara Weaving’s scheduling conflicts, might arguably make for a compelling documentary in its own right.
As for its present critical reception, Boy Kills World sits comfortably in the “generally favorable” category, with scores that suggest a collective shrug from the critic community. A 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 69 out of 100 indicate that while the film may not be groundbreaking, it’s at least ground-treading.
For those eager to embark on a cinematic journey that combines the subtlety of silent communication with the subtlety of blowing things up, Boy Kills World might just be your ticket. But for readers of SFcrowsnest, who know their sci-fi with a side of skepticism, let’s just say expectations are cautiously optimistic. After all, in a world where sequels and reboots reign supreme, a story about a boy and his quest for vengeance is a welcome, if slightly melodramatic, change of pace. Will it redefine the genre? Unlikely. But it might just entertain you on a Friday night when the only other option is rewatching The Matrix for the umpteenth time. And in today’s cinematic landscape, that’s not nothing.
