Poster for The Boy goes up in flames, starring Rainn Wilson

Last Updated on July 22, 2021

We have more SXSW goods to pass along, this time with a quick look at Craig William Macneill’s feature film debut THE BOY. Based on the acclaimed short HENLEY, THE BOY is set in the 80s and paints a terrifying portrait of a 9-year-old sociopath’s growing fascination with death. Set in a resort hidden away by mountains, THE BOY hints at a PSYCHO-esque foundation and sounds like a real skin-crawler. Take a look.

Co-written by Macneill and Clay McLeod Chapman, THE BOY is a SpectreVision Production that will see its premiere at SXSW on March 14th. It's about:

The Boy is set in the summer of 1989. 9-year-old Ted Henley (Jared Breeze) and his father, John (David Morse), are the proprietors of The Mtn. Vista Motel, a crumbling resort buried in the mountains of the American West. Since Ted’s mother left, John has drifted into despondency—becoming a living ghost, haunting the motel – leaving Ted to fend for himself.

In this isolation, unchecked by the bounds of parenting, Ted’s darker impulses begin to manifest. The arrival of a mysterious drifter, William Colby (Rainn Wilson), captivates young Ted; and the two form a unique friendship—setting the stage for Ted’s final, unnerving metamorphosis.

THE BOY stars Jared Breeze, David Morse, Rainn Wilson and Bill Sage.