A Peek Into The Movie ‘Boy Kills World’

Movies
Written By Vincent L. Smith

Written by Vincent Smith & Michael Lee

*All Media in this article is courtesy Lionsgate

Photo via Lionsgate

Released by Lionsgate on April 26, 2024, the movie 'Boy Kills World' grossed $1.6 million during its opening weekend. Directed by Moritz Mohr, the film stars actors Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, and Famke Janssen. This action-packed movie, set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia, centers on a young man seeking revenge after his family is murdered by a tyrannical matriarch. This article provides an in-depth look at the film’s cast, explores behind-the-scenes content, and examines its reception in various media outlets.

‘Boy Kills World’ Official Trailer

Video via Lionsgate

Film Synopsis

A young child simply known as Boy lives in an unnamed metropolis with his family; his mother and younger sister and best friend Mina. The two are incredibly close and spend their time playing arcade games and illustrating together what their shared future holds. The city is overseen by the wealthy Van Der Koy family; Hilda, the head of the household and her children Gideon and Melanie along with Melanie’s husband Glen. Hilda annually gathers twelve people in the city to participate in something called The Culling, an event where all twelve are brutally murdered on live television. Helen Van Der Koy recruits Boy, Minda, and their mother for participation in The Culling. Helen murders Mina and their mother and attempts to kill Boy, but instead leaves him for dead and this experience has left him both mute and deaf. An unnamed figure finds Boy, barely alive, and nurses him back to health.

‘Boy Kills World’ Featurette - “Winter Wonderland” | Video via Lionsgate

Now Boy is an adult and the figure is revealed to be a shaman of sorts who has been training Boy to garner his revenge against the entirety of the Van Der Koys. Though still mute, Boy reimagines his voice (as he has long forgotten what he has sounded like), so he develops his inner monologue based on a video game he used to play with his sister. Boy is still haunted by her death and constantly hallucinates her presence. Now Boy is headed into the city to sell his flowers and he sees both Glen and Gideon Van Der Koy arrive to capture the victims for this year's Culling event. The two are heckled by an onlooker and in doing so causes Glen to accidentally shoot a random civilian so a brawl ensues while Boy watches. A Van Der Koy enforcer, June 27, steps out to massacre the entirety of the civilians, keeping alive only six who are then captured by Gideon for the Culling.

‘Boy Kills World’ Featurette - “Martial Arts” | Video via Lionsgate

Boy manages to hide in the trunk of Gideon’s car and all are taken to a warehouse where Boy is discovered. Boy is attacked by Glen and his men as Gideon is leaving with Melanie. Boy murders the men and eventually befriends a captive named Basho. Basho and Boy interrogate Glen and he reveals that Hillda also hosts an annual party before the events of The Culling and offers them his help but is killed when Basho accidentally drops his bench press on Glen’s head, killing him instantly.

‘Boy Kills World’ Featurette - “Bill Skarsgård & Yayan Ruhian” | Video via Lionsgate

Basho leads Boy to the location of a resistance but upon their arrival it appears that the Van Der Koys have wiped them out, with the exception of a man named Benny. Benny is bearded and Boy cannot read his lips this way, which makes it difficult for Boy. The three of them sneak into the Van Der Koy manor before their party and Boy swiftly makes his way to decapitate Hilda and he is successful until it is revealed by Gideon that Boy murdered a decoy. The enforcer, June 27 is ordered to kill Boy and Boy nearly kills her until he has a moment of weakness and is promptly knocked out and captured.

‘Boy Kills World’ Featurette - “Bill Skarsgård Training” | Video via Lionsgate

Gideon prepares to torture Boy and when Boy awakens Giideon reveals that he wishes to help him and the resistance. He tells Boys that Hilda has created The Culling to protect herself against the very Shaman that rescued Boy from a certain death and has been kept in a bunker for years, believing that this is ‘the right thing’ to protect against criminals, though ironically criminals have been eradicated years ago and the only crime is the Culling which massacres the innocent.

‘Boy Kills World’ Film Clip - “Cart Stuff” | Video via Lionsgate

Melanie takes Boy to the Culling and it is revealed that the real Hilda herself has made a surprise appearance. She is quickly ushered off the stage after she mistakenly spots the Shaman and fires her gun into the crowd. The events of the Culling still begin and Boy escapes using a scalpel he was given to free himself and he makes his way back to Basho and Benny who have snuck into the Culling. Melanie finds out Gideon’s betrayal and points a gun at him. After Melanie murders most of the executioners she points her gun at Boy and pulls the trigger but Benny jumps in front of Boy, shielding him from the gunfire. Benny loses his life to save Boy. Melanie shoots Basho but Boy knocks her out and waits for the livestream camera to impale her.

‘Boy Kills World’ Film Clip - “Welcome To The Resistance” | Video via Lionsgate

Boy and the badly wounded Basho make their way to Hilda’s bunker but Basho cannot make the trip, he bleeds out while Boy is murdering Hilda’s guards. Boy then discovers a badly injured Gideon who gives him the key card to the bunker elevator. Mina appears to Boy again, begging for Boy not to kill Gideon but Boy does not heed her advice and murders him there in cold blood. Hilda speaks to Boy through the elevator camera and asks Boy if his mission is really worth it. He shows Hilda a drawing by Mina and this horrifies Hilda and orders the guards to stand down. June 27 ushers Boy to Hilda in her bunker.

‘Boy Kills World’ Film Clip - “Fight” | Video via Lionsgate

The bunker is covered in paintings of the Van Der Koy family, which include himself and his sister Mina. Hild informs Boy that he is her son having actively participated in killing dissidents which have included the Shaman’s entire family. Boy refused to kill the Shaman and he himself escaped. It is revealed that Boy ran into the woods after the incident and that is where the Shaman found him, nearly killing him instead choosing to burn his eardrums and slice his tongue clean out. The Shaman used LSD and psychological torture to alter Boy’s mind, which make him believe that it was Hilda that killed his family, training him to become his ultimate weapon. It is revealed that Boy has actually been murdering his real family as he is a Van Der Koy and June 27 is actually Mina, who is very much alive.

‘Boy Kills World’ Film Clip - “Watch Out” | Video via Lionsgate

Boy is in total shock, absolutely dumbstruck by the news Hilda shares. Boy cannot give Hilda any kind of affection and so Hilda orders Mina to kill him but instead Mina uses a hatchet to murder Hilda, reuniting herself and Boy together again. The two of them make their way out of the bunker and decimate the rest of the guards. The two are met by the Shaman who celebrates his joy with Boy and then orders him to kill Mina, the last Van Der Koy. Boy obviously refuses and the three engage in a brutal fight and the three of them sustain terrible injuries. Boy eventually slits the Shaman's throat with his sharpened necklace. Now Boy and Mina exit the bunker and leave to begin their new future together, while a flashback of the two playing their arcade game suddenly announces "Player 2 Has Entered the Game" and the screen fades to black.

‘Boy Kills World’ Film Clip - “Culling Intro” | Video via Lionsgate

In a suprise post-credit scene, Boy and Mina are seated comfortably in the Shaman’s hut, simply eating cereal and beaming ear to ear.

Photos from the Film

Photos courtesy Courtesy of Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate

Cast Breakdown

'Boy Kills World' showcases Bill Skarsgård as the protagonist, known only as Boy, who is driven by revenge in a harsh, dystopian environment. Jessica Rothe plays June 27, a key figure in Boy’s quest, while Michelle Dockery and Famke Janssen portray members of the oppressive Van Der Koy family. Check out the cast breakdown below.

Bill Skarsgård - ‘Boy’

Photo via Lionsgate

Jessica Rothe - ‘June 27’

Photo via Lionsgate

Michelle Dockery - ‘Melanie Van Der Koy’

Photo via Lionsgate

Andrew Koji - ‘Basho’

Photo via Lionsgate

Famke Janssen - ‘Hilda Van Der Koy’

Photo by Jemal Countess - © WireImage.com

Sharlto Copley - ‘Glen Van Der Koy’

Photo by Barry King - © 2017 Barry King - gettyimages.com

Brett Gelman - ‘Gideon Van Der Koy’

Photo via IMDB

Isaiah Mustafa - ‘Bennie’

Photo via IMDB

‘Boy Kills World’ In The Media

The release of 'Boy Kills World' prompted a varied response from critics, with its portrayal of a brutal dystopian world and intense action sequences attracting both acclaim and criticism. Reviews have noted the film's stark depiction of violence and its stylistic similarities to video game narratives, with particular attention to Bill Skarsgård's performance as a compelling, non-verbal protagonist. Outlets such as Variety have compared the film’s aesthetic and tone to a combination of 'John Wick' and 'A Clockwork Orange', highlighting its appeal to fans of ultra-violent action films. Check out how the film was covered across the media below.

Conclusion

'Boy Kills World' contributes a unique perspective to the action genre, characterized by its dystopian setting and graphic depiction of revenge. The film integrates intense action choreography with a strong narrative focus, driven by a well-selected cast. If you’ve seen the film, let us know your thoughts on it below! For more movie breakdowns, be sure to check out our movie blog.

Vincent L. Smith https://www.vincentleesmith.com
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