The Good Son (1993)

	Directed by: Joseph Ruben	COUNTRY USA GENRE Thriller/Horror NORWEGIAN TITLE The Good Son RUNNING TIME 87 minutes
	Produced by: Mary Ann Page Joseph Ruben
	Written by: Ian McEwan

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Henry	Macaulay Culkin
Mark	Elijah Wood
Susan	Wendy Crewson	½
Jack	David Morse	½
Wallace	Daniel Hugh Kelly	½
Connie	Quinn Culkin

Review

Messy, unsubtle and psychologically uneven thriller about bad seed Macaulay Culkin, who terrorizes his family with more or less evil antics, and then tries to recruit cousin Elijah Wood to his team. There are many problems associated with The Good Son, but director Ruben's sense of suspense is not one of them. Viewed in isolation, there are a handful of good, playful and harrowing bits and pieces in the film, and one of them is the chilling finale. That scene has many aspects, including both emotional and thematic depth. But at the same time, it cannot escape the context in which it is presented. Because the script (by Ian McEwan, but allegedly mutilated by the Culkin family) is far too showy and self-conscious while also lacking the insight it desperately needs in order to present Henry as anything resembling a real child. Elijah Wood's authenticity and natural presence in front of the camera easily exceeds Culkin's desperate and immature attempt at playing a psychopath, and it is Wood who gives the film most of its dramatic value. The Good Son is an occasionally enjoyable chiller – given that you don't ask too many questions.