Boy Kills World is a film directed by Moritz Mohr, from a screenplay by Tyler Burton Smith and Arend Remmers, based on a story by Remmers and Mohr. The film stars Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Rothe, Michelle Dockery, Famke Janssen, Sharlto Copley, Brett Gelman, Isaiah Mustafa, and Andrew Koji. The film had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and got a bit of buzz. It definitely became one of our top films on our list to check out with all of the chatter online. We finally were able to watch the film to see if it truly is Bill Skarsgård’s year with films like Nosferatu and The Crow as well coming out.

Boy Kills World is packed with some of the best action sequences we’ve seen. The choreography and amount of punch these scenes have is incredible. The film is very brash and absurd at times, but that’s what makes it work so well. The hyper violence aspect of it gives it the qualities to become a cult classic. A stacked cast that really are highlighted incredibly through some inspired and vivid imagery. I found myself drawn to the magnetic pull Skarsgård’s character has without uttering a single word. However, the character’s story is told all through a narration which can feel clunky at times.

I found myself thinking a lot about the vibrant and interesting world they built here. It almost feels like the film could be a graphic novel or comic book of sorts. This could definitely also explain why the story itself feels too grand for a movie which we will get to in a bit. However, it’s the pulpy look and outlandish violence in the film that make it work so well during these scenes. The story for the most part is just your average revenge thriller, but it falls victim into its own grand ideas throughout. The movie just can’t decide what route to take when it comes to the movie

Boy Kills World for all its merits does have its drawback as well. The film seems to want to be all these different things at the same time. It hops between some absurd comedy to a more defined revenge thriller. This of course can work but it’s the pacing that hinders it. It’s a shame, as the film feels incredibly inspired when looking at it from the surface but quickly feels hollow as we go. Boy Kills World has potential in my eyes as a series, where it can flesh out its characters more.

Overall, Boy Kills World has the juice and visuals to be a great pulpy midnighter. The performances are great, and the actions is most definitely where it’s at with this film. However, it gets lost in figuring out what it wants to be, making it fall flat in certain areas. I’m excited to see what the director has cooking up next as I enjoyed a lot of the visual cues they had going. Boy Kills World is entertaining enough to keep you engaged but by the end you might not be as pleased.

We give Boy Kills World a 2.75/5.