Macaulay Culkin became one of the most famous child actors in the 1990s, due to his memorable work in the first two Home Alone films. In 1993, Culkin put his funny, family-friendly persona aside by taking on a villainous role in the psychological thriller, The Good Son. In this film, Culkin portrays Henry Evans, an evil and troubled young boy who fantasizes about hurting other people, including members of his own family. He comes up with dangerous schemes that would leave spectators questioning the boy's mental state and how his parents deal with a child of this magnitude.

Along with Culkin, Elijah Wood also stars as Mark Evans, a child who loses his mother Janice due to illness. His father, Jack, has Mark stay with his Aunt Susan and Uncle Wallace in Maine so that Jack can set up his new residence for him and Mark in Tokyo. When Mark meets his cousin Henry, both boys appear to get along well, especially when they play games together outside. However, Mark becomes disturbed by Henry's behavior when he talks about the nature of death and committing acts of violence.

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Culkin Portrays A Convincing Villain

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It's typical to see teenagers and adults portray evil, villainous sociopaths who intend to cause harm and pain towards others, but it's rare to see a small child commit acts of violence with malicious intent. Many fans of Culkin and Home Alone may wonder what made the lovable child actor take on such a dark role, and how his parents and managers allowed him to be a part of this film. In terms of his performance, Culkin portrays his character very well, making Henry Evans a methodical antagonist who appears nice around his parents, but cold and mischievous when he's around Mark and his sister Connie (who's played by Culkin's actual sister, Quinn).

While Culkin is an effective villain, Elijah Wood (best known for his role as Frodo from The Lord of the Rings franchise) is a good heroic protagonist, who hits all the right notes when it comes to displaying Mark's anguish over his mother's loss, and attempting to overcome his internal emotions when spending time with his aunt, uncle, and cousins. Wood's role as Mark also appears to be the most interesting and challenging character in the film (even more than Culkin's role as Henry) because Mark is the one grieving over his mom's death while struggling to convince everyone that Henry is an evil child.

The Director Makes A Horrifying Thriller With A Bad Ending

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The interactions between Mark and Henry are the main highlight of this film because Wood and Culkin are talented and versatile young actors who develop a powerful and unsettling opposition between the characters, especially in some dark and brutal scenes. For instance, when Henry shows Mark his large crossbow (which can shoot out bolts) and uses it to kill a pitbull, Mark is left horrified. In another scene, Henry uses a dummy (which looks like a wrapped up body) and drops it on a highway, causing multiple cars to crash, leaving Mark perplexed because he didn't predict Henry would commit such a heinous act. There's also the moment in which Mark correctly anticipates Henry's attempt to kill his own sister Connie by pushing her down on an ice rink while skating, nearly causing the young girl to drown when she falls in a pool of cold water after the ice cracks.

All of these scenarios are scary and well-staged for a thriller, especially due to the vast and elaborate settings, from the sandy desert in Arizona to the cold and cloudy Maine filled with trees and rocks. However, it's all overshadowed by the fact that the parents are pretty much non-existent, and would allow these children to roam around outside without any adult supervision or chaperones. It's as if they assume Mark and Henry are young adults who can take care of themselves for a long period of time. Mark's dad, Jack, has a few crucial moments at the beginning of the film but is never seen again (only his voice is heard during a couple of phone calls).

The film's director, Joseph Ruben (best known for the 80s psychological horror film The Stepfather), is familiar with stories involving conflicting family bonds. Two years before The Good Son, Ruben directed Sleeping With The Enemy, a thriller in which Julia Roberts portrays a strong woman who escapes from her abusive husband by faking her own death and living her own life far away from him. Ruben also made Money Train, which reunited Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson (after starring in White Men Can't Jump) as two foster brothers who work as transit cops in the NYC Subway. While Snipes is the tough and responsible brother, Harrelson is the sibling who always gets himself into gambling trouble and fantasizes about stealing millions from the money train, causing a major dispute between the brothers.

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​​​Ruben does manage to make The Good Son an eerie thriller between an evil boy (whose outlook on life is all about bleakness and death) and a good boy (who wants to find purpose after his mom's passing, believing that she is still alive in spirit and through Aunt Susan). However, Ruben doesn't give his feature enough time to focus on the family dynamics and relationships (even though they're constantly referenced). As Susan, Wendy Crewson is emotionally powerful and displays motherly bonds with both Mark and her son Henry, but the main conflict is rushed through in an ending that is preposterous and heavily disturbing in nature, in which Susan has to decide which child to save and who falls down the cliff.

The Good Son is a divisive thriller that will intrigue and/or scare audiences, especially parents and children, but Macaulay Culkin, Elijah Wood, the cast, and director Joseph Ruben deserve credit for taking on material that's more challenging than usual.

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