Imagine a hyper-violent, neon-drenched fever dream of arcade games, martial arts flicks, and ultra violent comics all jammed into one movie: that’s the universe of “Boy Kills World,” a wild ride of a film from director Moritz Mohr. It’s a gimmick that’s fun and fresh at first, but it wears thin and becomes totally exhausting a lot more quickly than you’d like.
Bill Skarsgård plays Boy, a deaf-mute martial artist on a bloody revenge quest against the psychotic matriarch of a post-apocalyptic dynasty. He’s armed with nothing but his rage, some seriously intense training from a mysterious shaman, and the ghostly inner voice of his childhood video game.
It’s truly a badass premise, but the film tries to juggle too many things, from gore, absurd characters, excessive violence, and a convoluted plot. There’s a lot of stuff happening, but none of it feels particularly meaningful. The violence is over-the-top, and I enjoyed the (often funny) gruesome gags, but all the blood splattering and flying limbs seem like a one-trick pony after they drag on and on and on.
Skarsgård’s performance is one of the film’s highlights. He’s has a genuine, naive sincerity about him that gives the character some depth in the midst of all the chaos. You can’t help but root for him, even when he’s in the middle of a fight involving a cheese grater and some poor soul’s face. He’s backed by a bizarrely cartoonish cast of characters, including Famke Janssen as the over-the-top villain and Sharlto Copley as her eccentric henchman. The chemistry between them is fun, but again, the zaniness of it all only goes so far.
The biggest letdown is that the themes of persistence, courage, and fighting for freedom are buried under all the blood, relentless pacing, and violent action that’s generated solely for its shock value. It’s one thing to have a crazy action movie, but it’s another to have one that forgets to give you something to hold onto once the initial adrenaline wears off.
I wish I’d liked “Boy Kills World” more than I did. To me, it felt a total assault on the senses in the form of a weird, violent thrill ride that’s cool in bursts but ultimately feels empty. If you’re into nonsensical action with zero subtlety and more buckets of blood than you can count, this might be your thing. But if you’re looking for something with a bit more heart or depth, you might find yourself checking out long before the final showdown.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 