1. Plot Summary
After the death of his mother, 12-year-old Mark Evans (Elijah Wood) is sent by his father to spend time with his Aunt Susan (Wendy Crewson), Uncle Wallace (Daniel Hugh Kelly), and cousins Henry (Macaulay Culkin) and Connie in Maine, while his father does business abroad.
At first, Mark and Henry bond, but Mark begins to notice disturbing behavior from Henry: fascination with death, cruel pranks, and subtle manipulations.
As Henry’s actions escalate—causing a vehicle pileup by dropping a dummy, nearly drowning Connie by luring her onto thin ice, and later attempts to harm family members—Mark struggles to convince others of Henry’s malevolence.
In the film’s climax, Henry pushes Susan off a cliff. Mark and Henry struggle over Susan, and ultimately Susan must make the devastating choice to let Henry go in order to save Mark. The film ends with Mark rescued and reflecting on the choice Susan made.
2. Notable Elements
- One of the most memorable scenes is Henry’s dummy (“Mr. Highway”) being dropped off a bridge, causing a dramatic multi-vehicle accident. This moment signals how Henry turns abstract cruelty into deadly reality.
- The ice pond scene, where Henry lures Connie onto thin ice, is another chilling sequence—its tension and ambiguity make you question whether Mark’s suspicions are paranoia or real danger.
- Macaulay Culkin’s performance as Henry is notable for subverting expectations—casting a previously beloved child actor as someone sinister adds shock value.
- Elijah Wood’s portrayal of Mark gives the story its emotional heart—his growing fear, isolation, and determination provide audience anchoring.
- The final cliff scene (Susan dangling, picking which son to save) is physically and emotionally gripping, delivering a dramatic test of love, trust, and choice.
However, the film also has weaker elements:
- Henry sometimes speaks or reasons with a sophistication beyond what feels natural for a child, making his evil seem more contrived than organic. Roger Ebert critiqued this dissonance.
- The adult characters (parents, psychiatrists) often fail to see what is obvious to Mark, making them feel inattentive or complicit. This “adults are useless” trope is emphasized in many scenes.
- Some plot developments are melodramatic or manipulative—especially toward the end—making the emotional resolution feel forced to some viewers. Roger Ebert labeled the ending “unconvincing, contrived, meretricious.”
- The film’s tone oscillates awkwardly between domestic drama and psychological horror; balancing those modes is uneven.
3. Themes and Messages
- Innocence and evil: The core unsettling idea is that evil can conceal itself behind innocence and youth. Henry’s outward charm hides a disturbing interior.
- Perception vs denial: Mark sees the danger, but adults refuse to believe it—this creates isolation and desperation. The failure of adults to trust children is a powerful tension.
- Choice, love, and sacrifice: The final moment where Susan must release Henry to save Mark forces a tragic moral choice about who to save when resources (her hands) are limited.
- Nature vs nurture: The film invites the question: was Henry born evil, or shaped by forces? While the movie leans toward innate cruelty, the surrounding family dynamics add complexity.
- Fear, grief, and projection: Mark’s grief over his mother’s death colors his perceptions. Some of his actions are driven by emotional vulnerability as much as by self-preservation.
While not a holiday film, The Good Son’s themes of family, protection, difficult choices, and confronting darkness resonate with the emotional reflections often present in seasonal or introspective stories.
4. Personal Impressions
What I appreciated:
- I found the premise powerful—turning the trope of a “bad kid” inside a family into something more psychologically tense.
- The performances of Wood and Culkin are strong. Their dynamic is believable, and they help carry the emotional weight.
- Scenes like the dummy drop and cliff struggle linger in the mind—they are tense, well-executed, and effective.
- The film takes risks—casting a child in malevolent roles, pushing moral boundaries—which makes it more interesting than safer thrillers.
What I felt could be better:
- Henry’s sophistication sometimes tips the balance from unsettling to unrealistic; his dialogue occasionally strains verisimilitude.
- Some emotional beats feel manipulated, especially near the end, where the resolution seems more symbolic than organically earned.
- Adult characters often function as obstacles or disbelief machines, not as fully developed people.
- The balance between horror and family drama is sometimes uneasy—some viewers may be jarred by tonal shifts.
5. Audience Recommendations
You’d especially enjoy The Good Son if you:
- Like psychological thrillers involving children, when darkness lurks behind innocence.
- Appreciate movies that push moral tension and force characters into impossible decisions.
- Enjoy performances that defy casting expectations (Culkin as villain).
- Don’t mind ambiguity, tension, and a lack of perfect closure.
You may be less interested if you:
- Prefer pure horror, or films with monsters rather than psychological evil.
- Want strong character arcs for every side character, not just the leads.
- Expect perfect coherence and logic in every twist (this film asks you to accept some parts as symbolic or emotional rather than strictly realistic).
6. Conclusion & Rating
The Good Son is a bold, unsettling film. It does not always land perfectly, but its ambition, chilling moments, and strong lead performances make it a memorable entry in the psychological horror/thriller genre. It may be flawed, but it stays with you.
Final Recommendation: Recommended for thriller lovers who want psychological tension over blood and gore. It’s especially compelling for those interested in the darker side of familial relationships and the idea that evil may hide behind a child’s face.
⭐ Rating: 3.5 / 5
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