Boy Wonder (2011)

3.5/4

Boy Wonder is Michael Morrissey's thrilling debut film that has gotten little attention, I went into it with a bare minimum idea of what it was about and I what I got was one of the most exhilarating experiences of the year. Morrissey is a devilishly deceptive director, this film has the look of a straight forward revenge thriller but as the film progresses layers of psychological destruction are unleashed.

On a rainy night 8-year-old Sean Donovan witnesses his mother's murder which forever changes his life. Ten years later he is a repressed young man - played by newcomer, Caleb Steinmeyer - who hangs out at a police station during his free time. He takes on the role of a modern day vigilante as he hunts down repulsive men with violent criminal histories in search of answers and closure to his mother's murder. Along the way he becomes associated and ultimately afflicted with young, obsessive homicide detective, Teresa Ames, played in typical formulaic fashion by Zulay Henao. The heart and darkness of the film lies within the relationship between Sean and his father, played with conviction by Bill Sage.Their strained relationship is heartbreaking, touching and then takes a turn for the tragic.

As we dig deeper into the fog of a story that doesn't give us any direct answers, the effective and gradually driven performance by Caleb Steinmeyer takes hold of Boy Wonder. The tagline for the film is "Beware the Hero;" its flexibility fits with this story perfectly. The hero himself must beware the violent path he is going down and we must fear the hero whose unsound mind complicate our perception of reality. The villain (James Russo in a subtle, yet memorable performance) is not some evil force beyond all others, he is nothing but another violent criminal. Caleb Steinmeyer plays Sean, who is all truth the hero of this story, what makes him different is that he is a hero who isn't afraid to kill the bad men he hunts. But as Morrissey takes us deeper into the depths of his film we also learn that our hero is completely unreliable. Through very well-executed sequences we see that Sean's mind unconsciously forces him to view the world through a dark, aggressively exaggerated point-of-view.

Michael Morrissey is another new director to watch out for. He takes the simple idea of vigilantes and throws a whole new look at us. Using dark, murky visuals in the grimy areas of New York City with thrilling action sequences heightened by complete tension. His simple looking and feeling story will keep your expectations low only to leave your mind gasping for air as it all comes together as a one-of-a-kind film that gets even better as it stays in your mind. Boy Wonder will not make him a household name or even bring any real attention to him, but if he sticks with this level of filmmaking we will be able to look back at this film and see how developed his talents already were.

The finale of the film starts off like a mad-dash to a violent, unfitting pay-off, but the contorted plot comes together with patience and ease. I found myself enthralled by this film, Morrissey's intent and methods of execution are risky, but they are what end up being the reasons why this film worked for me. I cared about the conflicted and unreliable hero to the point where I was willing to accept his mistakes and violent nature - more than partly due to Steinmeyer's impeccable performance. You could classify this as a thrilling murder mystery; you could classify it as a superhero movie with an explorative touch; but what it is for sure is an unforgettable experience that you will want to stay fresh in your mind for as long as possible.