Shocking Revelation: ‘Boy Kills World’ Unleashes Insane Gore Like Never Before!

In “Boy Kills World,” a dark comic take on bloody revenge, Bill Skarsgård takes the leading role as the nameless “Boy.” The movie tiresomely attempts to reach epic levels of violence while drawing heavily from “The Hunger Games” for its dystopian setting.

The film confuses high energy for genuine excitement, resulting in a tasteless blend of black comedy, sappy comic-book emotion, and ultra-violent battles. More than anything, the monotonous video-game-like atmosphere may leave you instinctively seeking a pause button.

Moritz Mohr’s first feature film plunges us into a totalitarian postapocalyptic world, without wasting time on backstory or atmosphere. It begins with a brutal televised ritual, the Culling, where a black-clad Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen) ruthlessly kills a young girl. The girl’s brother, now an orphan, is subsequently trained in brutal vengeance by a wild-eyed shaman, played by Yayan Ruhian, a recognizable figure for action movie fans from the renowned “Raid” films.

Animation veteran H. Jon Benjamin, known for his work in “Archer” and “Bob’s Burgers,” provides the voice-over for Skarsgård’s mute and deaf character. This change, made after early screenings used Skarsgård’s voice, is a discordant choice. Benjamin’s humorous tone fails to make lines like “I am an instrument of death” sound serious, and even the intended jokes in the script by Tyler Burton Smith and Arend Remmers fall flat. Despite being explained as the Boy imitating his favorite video game hero, the ongoing commentary feels more like a bad open mic night performance.

Mohr shows more commitment to the bloody brawls, each one bringing the Boy closer to the Van Der Koy compound and those responsible for the Culling: Hilda’s sister Melanie (Michelle Dockery), her TV host husband (Sharlto Copley), and brother Gideon (Brett Gelman). Each villain’s exaggerated performance seems designed only to make their violent end more satisfying. Copley, however, brings a watchable quality to his over-the-top villainy, reminiscent of actors like Lee Van Cleef and Jack Palance.

The unending battles, choreographed by Dawid Szatarski, are designed in the prolonged style popularized by “Oldboy” but now enhanced with outlandish effects. Mohr’s approach is more in line with the artificiality of “Kingsman” director Matthew Vaughn than the balletic brutality of “John Wick” director Chad Stahelski.

For those who prefer performance and choreography to a director showing off with a drone, “Boy Kills World” will fall short, despite the pulsating soundtrack provided by Ludvig Forssell and El Michels Affair.

Why all the excess? It’s regrettable that Skarsgård, an alumnus of “John Wick 4,” is underused. He shows potential as a formidable force of chaos with his tall frame and piercing gaze, and even brings an intriguing innocence to the character. However, he ends up being more of a pawn than a fully realized character.

As the final showdown with a helmeted assassin (Jessica Rothe) looms, the film delivers one surprising twist. However, the long wait for this moment tests the audience’s patience. To truly be a world-killer, the Boy shouldn’t have to exhaust viewers in the process.