Boy Kills World
Action cinema is in a bit of a slump these days. It survives as a blockbuster trope, but as a core genre things are looking rather bleak. All the more concerning that I didn't see or hear much buzz surrounding Moritz Mohr's Boy Kills World before I decided to give it a go. With the names involved and the bold choices made, you'd expect people to get a bit more excited about this film. Then again, extremes rarely do well in the mainstream, so a maximalist movie like this would always be struggling at least a little. I'm glad I caught it though, as this was right up my alley.
If you need reference material, think of films like Hardcore Henry, Carter, and Guns Akimbo. Boy Kills World chases a similar aesthetic, borrowing eagerly from the pool of 80s action ideals (boyish charm and cheesy violence) while giving them a contemporary upgrade. These three films were even more effective than Mohr's attempt, but they also struggled to make a big impact when they landed. They've all since acquired somewhat of a cult following though, so I guess there is still hope for this film. As long as people keep making enough of a fuss when they bump into it.
Boy Kills World's biggest hurdle is that not everything works as well as it should, which means you need somewhat of a forgiving audience. The clearest example is no doubt the narration, which is done in a beat 'em up-like voice-over (think Street Fighter 2). In essence a fun and smart idea, but the execution is terrible, which means you're stuck with a paltry voice-over for most of the film. How much this gets in the way of your enjoyment is what is going to determine the overall success of the film, it certainly took me a while to get past it.
A young boy sees his family murdered by tyrannic rulers. He is the only one who manages to survive the assault, but he ends up living with a shaman in the jungle. The shaman teaches him everything he needs to know to take revenge on those who ruined his life, even though his methods are harsh and life isn't easy for the now deaf-mute boy. The only thing that keeps him going is the spirit of his sister, guiding him along. When he is all grown up the time is finally there to take on his enemies, but they're tough to get to and they have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Visually there's a lot to like here. The dystopian setting isn't too elaborate but it gives Mohr a fun excuse to play around with smaller details, like a bike helmet that shows basic emotional feedback. I was most impressed with the camera work during the action scenes though, which does a great job of enhancing the fight choreography. The editing is snappy and adds rhythm, the colors and lighting are bold and the visual pace is high, all things that enhance the maximalist feel of the film. It's exactly what Boy Kills World needed.
The score is decent but nothing too exceptional. It's an upbeat choice of tracks primarily chosen to get the adrenaline flowing during the action sequences. And it does a good job at that, but that's the end of it. There's a bit of ironic use of cheesy pop music throughout, but it's not that clever or original. The only other thing that stands out is the obnoxious voice-over. Apparently, this is already v2 (Skarsgård's first attempt was scrapped). It's an odd thing to get wrong, but it's such an inconsequential detail that they should've just scrapped it altogether.
I liked the cast, which is pretty eclectic. Bill Skarsgård has been making some worthwhile choices lately and he's a fun lead. Rothe is cool too, though it's obvious her role was written for Samantha Weaving (she does an excellent job replacing her though). Next to them, there's an impressive array of secondary roles, with actors like Sharlto Copley, Yayan Rhian, and Brett Gelman all giving the best of themselves. There's a lot of nudging and winking going on and nobody is going to win any prizes with their parts, but there are no weak links. Apart from the voice work of Benjamin, only, I'm not sure the actor is to be blamed for the failure.
Boy Kills World is quick to set the tone, but it takes a while before everyone is introduced and all the pawns are in the right place. The film remains quite vague about its setting and the world-building isn't the most thorough, but Mohr is busier trying to make a fun and entertaining action flick than he is at telling a coherent story. And that's a fair tradeoff if you ask me. Not everyone is going to appreciate this balance, but sometimes it's just about priorities and getting the basics right, and ultimately that's what sets Boy Kills World apart from its peers.
Looking back at the past decade, there haven't been enough fun action flicks. Boy Kills World aims to remedy that and it does so with great conviction. The maximalist presentation, the vast array of quirky ideas and moments, and the flashy action scenes all add up to make a vastly entertaining film. It's not without fault, some of them are very in your face too, but at least Mohr isn't afraid to swing and miss. A commendable trait these days. I'm pretty excited to see what Mohr will do next, hopefully, this film gave him enough credit to keep the momentum going.