The Good Son (1993)
A young boy stays with his aunt and uncle, and befriends his cousin who's the same age. But his cousin begins showing increasing signs of psychotic behavior.
Details
Budget
$17,000,000
Rating
7/10 (965 votes)
Status
Released
Production Companies
20th Century Fox, Tura-Film
About The Good Son
The 1993 thriller "The Good Son" delves into the disturbing behavior of a seemingly innocent child. The film explores themes of sadism and manipulation through the character of a young boy who exhibits increasingly psychotic tendencies. The narrative sets up a tense dynamic between childhood innocence and underlying malevolence.
Categorized as a thriller, drama, and horror film, its 87-minute runtime focuses on the psychological unraveling of a family dynamic. The plot hinges on the discovery of a child's dark nature and the disbelief surrounding it. Critical reception for the movie was mixed, with its Rotten Tomatoes score at 26% and Metacritic rating at 45/100, though its IMDb rating is 6.4.
The story is built around keywords such as "psychopath," "murder," and "problem child," emphasizing the film's core conflict. The film uses a parent-child relationship to explore the horror of discovering a child's capacity for evil. It positions the audience to question the nature versus nurture debate through its dramatic and horrific elements. With a 7 out of 10 average vote from 965 TMDb users, the film has found an audience despite its critical reception.
Why you might be searching for The Good Son
People are often searching for this film due to its memorable, disturbing premise involving a child exhibiting psychopathic behavior. The search queries suggest people remember key plot points like a mother suspecting her son of being evil, or a child who kills, highlighting the movie's impact in portraying juvenile malevolence and disbelief from adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about finding and identifying movies
You can stream *The Good Son* on Disney Plus, or buy/rent it from the Apple TV Store or Amazon Video. [justwatch.com](https://www.justwatch.com/au/movie/the-good-son)
No, *The Good Son* is not based on a true story. It is a psychological thriller film from a screenplay written by English novelist Ian McEwan, who was commissioned by 20th Century Fox to write a script about evil. [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Son_(film))
At the end of *The Good Son*, Susan, Henry's mother, and Mark, his cousin, are on a cliff. Henry pushes Susan over the edge, but she manages to cling to a branch. Mark arrives and tackles Henry. Susan climbs back up and grabs both boys as they fall over the edge. With only enough strength to save one, Susan releases Henry, and he falls to his death. [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Son_(film))
*The Good Son* received mixed to negative reviews from critics, with a 25% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. [rottentomatoes.com](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/good_son) Critics like Roger Ebert found it a "creepy, unpleasant experience," and many criticized Macaulay Culkin's casting due to his comedic image. [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Son_(film))