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The Good Son [1993] | ![The Good Son [1993]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411A92Z1QTL._SL500_.jpg)
| Director: Joseph Ruben
Actors: Macaulay Culkin, Elijah Wood, Wendy Crewson, David Morse, Daniel Hugh Kelly
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Category: Video
New (6) Used (4) from £0.95
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 17710
Format: Closed-captioned, Dolby, Pal, Surround Sound
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Media: VHS Tape
Discs: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 82 Minutes
EAN: 5024165701362
ASIN: B00004RCIJ
Theatrical Release Date: September 24, 1993
Release Date: January 4, 1999
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Brilliant movie July 14, 2007
marky77 (England)
I absolutley loved this movie, it is one of the best horror/thrillers I have seen for a long time. Macaulay Culkin is great as the cute-but-evil Henry as is Elijah Wood as Mark, the protagonist. I thought they both did a great job as portraying beleivable charactors (especially considering that they were six years too young to legally watch their own movie).
The plot of the movie is very consistant and goes not slow down or drag in places and some of the scenes are very suspenceful, particularly the scene where Henry is pointing a nail-gun toward a cat and we dont know if he is going to kill it.
I was very surprised that this movie was rated 18 as there is no sex or violence at all and only one swear (the F word) so I would say this movie is probably ok for children over the age of 12 or so to watch.
Shortly after Mark's (Elijah Wood) mother dies, his father takes him to live in New England with his Aunt and Uncle and 12 year old cousin, Henry (Macaulay Culkin). At first Mark seems to be having a good time until he begins to see the real Henry when a slip leaves him dangling over the side of a treehouse (which is about 100 feet high) and Hery asks him "If I let go, do you think you could fly?". Then, Henry throws a dummy onto a busy highway causing a ten-car pileup and Mark realises that Henry is much more dangerous than he thought...
A great horror/thriller movie that I would highly recomend.
 Good son April 22, 2007
E. A Solinas (MD USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
It's child-star vs. child star in "The Good Son," a disturbing suspense movie about the brutality that even children can commit. Somehow it's not surprising that Ian McEwan wrote the screenplay -- it's no cheery, cutesy story, but a horror movie in every sense of the word.
As the movie opens, Mark (Elijah Wood) is brought to his mother's bedside as she dies. At the funeral, his father learns that he will have to go on a business trip, which will "set you and Mark up for life." So he drops off Mark at his uncle and aunt's in New England, hoping that the boy will buck up emotionally when he's around other kids. At first, all is well -- Mark immediately becomes pals with his cousin Henry (Macaulay Culkin), and the boys are soon inseparable.
But then Henry enlists Mark in a crazy prank: throwing a dummy onto a crowded highway, causing a massive accident. Mark realizes that his cousin cares nothing about the lives of others -- and discovers that he may have caused his baby's brother's mysterious death. But no one believes Mark -- and now Henry is planning to kill others in his family...
It's a sad fact that children can be as evil as adults, but the myth of childish purity sticks to us. That's why "Good Son" is so disturbing. Rather than treating the two kids as cardboard cutouts, they are as complex as adults -- capable of good or evil, and of terrible thoughts and actions. And, as we see in Mark, they can be heroes as well.
The storyline has a few too many cliches -- for example, the parents are utterly in the dark about Henry's true nature, although the mom does get a clue late in the movie. Ian McEwan did an excellent job with the scripting, however, slowly building up the suspense through little things like Henry pondering, "If I let you fall... do you think you could fly?" as Mark was dangling off a tree's branch. He also gives a sense of despration, as Mark tries to rescue Henry's little sister from an "accident," or destroys all the food when he thinks Henry has poisoned it all.
Wood gave a stellar performance as Mark, though he was the lesser child star at the time. He uses his expressive face and eyes to full advantage, showing all of Mark's horror, indecision, fear and sorrow without a word. Too bad Culkin wasn't nearly as good -- his portrayal of Henry is completely flat. The most emotion he ever shows is a shrug; I almost expected him to yawn.
"The Good Son" is a disturbing suspense movie, and not one that can be forgotten quickly. The main problem with it is Culkin's acting, while Wood did an outstanding job.
horriffic (mainly because it's realistic!) September 2, 2004
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
This is a deeply horrifying movie about the existence of evil and raw emotions. All of the main characters are coping with a death of a close family member, Mark (Wood) with the loss of his mother, and his cousin Henry (Culkin)'s family by the youngest child who mysteriously drowned in a bath tub. The difference in how they cope with the loss sets the background for the two young boy's relationship, which starts off as idylic (those kids never seem to stop running!) in the dramatic scenery of Aspen, (i think!), as gradually Henry's true character begins to show in ominous moments, building to a heart stopping climax i found quite difficult to handle. An almost unbelievable tale of a child who should be innocent, made real by amazing acting (by kids who weren't even legally allowed to watch their own movie) and direction.
Something of a twist! January 22, 2004
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
The pairing of Elijah Wood and Macaulay Culkin is just perfect! They both play their roles with great maturity for their age. Culkin has the wild look in his eye, where as Wood has great depth of emotion in some very touching scenes. The film had you engaged right from the start and is full of twists. It had me griped and pleading for someone to believe Mark (Wood) as the story progressed. Its dark and an intresting site on youngs boys out at play in the wonderfull setting of this film. If you want something that you want to be griped by, see some breath taking stunts done by the boys them selves and taken on twists and turns then this is the film for you!
a great film that deserves a sequel November 19, 2003
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
this is a film you are not likley to forget about in a hurry! this film the good son carrys a lot of genuinely good characteristics such as drama suspences or thriller. this film has the same feel good factor as the sandlot kids or richie rich and considering that this film is played by kids of the majoraty of the film you cant put it down. its just a fantastic film overall the only downside that i have found with this film was that there is NO sequel were as with the quallity of this film it deserves a sequel and if you ask me the producers were dumb not to make a sequel this film mixs horror suspence and drama creating one powerful film in deed for instance when henry shoots the dog mark becomes upset and in that time you feel scared and sorry for the dog bringing all the aspects of this film toa brill climax (which i wont give away). so do yourself a favour and buy this film..... oh and dont forget if you get this film 'you could do anything you could even fly'!
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