The Boy Behind the Door is an extremely tense and harrowing film about friendship. A normal day quickly turns into a nightmare after best friends Bobby (Lonnie Chavis) and Kevin (Ezra Dewey) are kidnapped by two strangers. Caught in a desperate fight for survival, the boys must work together to escape their captors and stay alive. Whenever a movie puts a child’s life in jeopardy, the entire story becomes more distressing. As such, The Boy Behind the Door is a powerful, anxiety-inducing thriller.
The film begins with a stressful scene that fully immerses the audience into its story. From there, the movie continues to ramp up the tension as Bobby desperately searches for Kevin in a remote, decrepit house. The film’s cinematography is a tremendous factor in its effectiveness. As Bobby traverses through the dark halls, the movie utilizes lots of wide angles. Many of these shots are dynamic, often showing action in the background and foreground simultaneously. Danger lurks around every corner, making each passing minute feel like an eternity. Adding to the suspense, The Boy Behind the Door has little dialogue. The film’s silence is very eerie, giving it a sense of realism.
Part of what makes the movie feel authentic is the acting from both its child stars. Lonnie Chavis (This is Us, Skin) and Ezra Dewey (The Djinn) each give exceptional performances. Both bring a childlike innocence to their roles making the characters likable and sympathetic. The movie effectively highlights the bond they share as both Bobby and Kevin persistently act to save each other. The duo is believable as longtime best friends. Bobby is also one of the most resourceful kid-survivalists in film history. Watching him try to outwit two adults while searching for Kevin is equally exciting and apprehensive. As good as the movie is though, the last third felt a bit lackluster.
The Boy Behind the Door is so suspenseful in the beginning because of its ambiguity. There’s no reasoning given for the kidnapping, it’s sudden and seemingly random. As a result, the antagonists in the film are more ominous. Later on, there’s an unexpected twist in the second half of the movie that reveals one of the antagonists’ identities. After the reveal, the film loses the intrigue and mystery that made the first half so great. Naturally, you would expect to find out the motive behind the crime or get some backstory about the character, but neither occurs. The movie alludes to something darker and more sinister at play, but never explicitly states what’s happening. Due to this, The Boy Behind the Door becomes repetitive and predictable. There’s no problem with leaving some story elements open-ended, but the movie suffers because of everything that’s left unexplained.
Altogether, writer-directors David Charbonier and Justin Powell created a tense and unique thriller. While the story could have been better, the movie is still well worth a watch. The Boy Behind the Door is now available to stream on Shudder.
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