lay me gently in the cold dark earth

Good Boy (Heel 2025) – Movie Review

Good Boy hooked me right away, but honestly, it lost me around the halfway mark. Which is a shame, because the core idea is really strong.

Just a heads-up: if you’re expecting a straight horror film, you’re gonna be disappointed. The marketing pushes that angle, but this is way more of a slow-burn psychological thriller.

The setup is simple. A young guy whose life has completely spiraled out of control gets taken by a family who claims they just want to “set him straight.” But the most interesting part isn’t the kidnapping itself. It’s the uncomfortable question underneath it. When does helping someone cross the line into total control? And when does discipline turn into straight-up abuse of power in a nice, tidy living room?

The performances are what actually hold the movie together. Stephen Graham plays Chris with this calm, deeply unsettling presence. He doesn’t need to yell to be intimidating, which makes him so much worse. Andrea Riseborough brings this fragile, almost frozen tension to her role, and Anson Boon is great as Tommy. He’s hard to like at first, almost deliberately unbearable, but it works. You completely buy his anger, self-destruction, and panic. The only weak link is the son’s storyline. The character serves a purpose, sure, but emotionally, his arc just fell flat.

Technically, the movie is tight. Controlled, cold, and grounded. Violence isn’t mindless chaos here. It’s neat and methodical, which is honestly pretty chilling.

My real issue is the script. It brings up a lot of interesting questions but leaves way too many of them hanging. And not in a good, lingering way either. It feels like the film keeps hinting at deeper themes instead of actually developing them. That made the ending way more frustrating than it needed to be. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely not strong enough to justify leaving that much unresolved.

Overall, it has a killer premise, really strong acting, and a genuinely uncomfortable atmosphere. But it’s one of those movies that doesn’t quite live up to its potential.

As above, so below. As I believe the world to be, so it is.

as above, so below 2014 dir john erick dowdle

found footage, treasure hunt, horror movie ; 4.5/5 ☆

a group sneak into the french catacombs to explore a hidden cave that supposedly offers treasure, and eternal life. Evil ensues.

Day 27: As Above So Below (2014)

As Above, So Below