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" explores themes of childhood malevolence and the psychological strain it places on families. The story centers on a young boy who moves in with his aunt and uncle, forming a bond with his cousin, who is of the same age. However, this seemingly innocent friendship takes a dark turn as the cousin begins to exhibit increasingly troubling and psychotic behaviors.
Running for 87 minutes, the film delves into concepts of sadism, manipulation, and deceit through its horror and drama elements. The narrative builds around the keywords of a psychopath and sociopath, particularly focusing on the dynamics of a problem child and the disbelief from adults when confronted with such extreme behavior. This exploration of dark psychological territory contributed to its initial reception, reflected in its Rotten Tomatoes score of 26% and a Metacritic score of 45/100, though audiences on IMDb rated it higher at 6.4 out of 10 based on over 46,000 votes.
Why you might be searching for The Good Son
People are often searching for details related to the film's premise of a seemingly normal child displaying psychopathic tendencies, aligning with the common search for "a boy accidentally kills another boy by throwing a rock." The core of searches also involves the disturbing dynamic between the two young protagonists and the unraveling of the family's understanding of the 'good son'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about finding and identifying movies
You can watch The Good Son on Netflix, or rent/buy it on Prime Video. It is rated R and was released in 1993.
The Good Son is not based on a true story, but is a psychological thriller written by Ian McEwan. It stars Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood as cousins, one of whom exhibits psychopathic tendencies.
At the climax of The Good Son, Henry (Macaulay Culkin) and Mark (Elijah Wood) tumble over a cliff. Their aunt, Susan (Wendy Crewson), pulls herself up and tries to save both boys, but Henry demands she let Mark fall. Susan realizes Henry is a monster and chooses to save Mark, letting Henry fall to his death, a decision she will likely regret but one that prevents Henry from becoming a future psychopath or mass murderer, according to the director.
Rotten Tomatoes describes The Good Son as failing to create enough suspense or make Macaulay Culkin's character a credible psychopath, with a critics' consensus of 26%. Metacritic gave the film a score of 45, indicating mixed or average reviews.