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The good son.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 4 Reviews
Kids Say 11 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Creepy '90s thriller about murderous kid has violence.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

The drowning death of a young child is mentioned several times. A young boy's mo

"F--k" and "hell."

Any Positive Content?

Mark tries to keep everyone around him safe from Henry's secret threat. Henry is

Even people who seem sweet may be evil underneath. Sometimes evil can be thwarte

Violence & Scariness

The drowning death of a young child is mentioned several times. A young boy's mother dies of an illness. A young girl is deliberately flung onto thin ice, which cracks as she falls into frigid water. She is rescued. A boy uses a homemade bolt-shooting crossbow to kill a dog. The boy also creates a human-sized doll that he throws onto highway traffic to maliciously create a 10-car pile-up. A woman is pushed off a cliff but survives. Two others fall over a cliff and one dies. A boy holds a scissor to another boy's neck. It's implied that a boy has poisoned his family's food.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Role Models

Mark tries to keep everyone around him safe from Henry's secret threat. Henry is self-absorbed and evil, certain no one will believe the truth about him.

Positive Messages

Even people who seem sweet may be evil underneath. Sometimes evil can be thwarted.

Parents need to know that the ironically titled The Good Son is an extremely tense and scary 1993 thriller that borders on the verge of horror. The twist here is the notion that a child can embody murderous evil. Despite the youth of the cast, younger viewers may find the boy's actions too disturbing. A woman's death by illness and a child's death by drowning are mentioned. Someone is pushed off a cliff and a dog is shot with a homemade crossbow. The dog's death is heard but not seen. A boy holds a scissor to another boy's neck. It's implied that a boy has poisoned his family's food. Expect to hear "f--k" and "hell." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (4)
Kids say (11)

Based on 4 parent reviews

Darkest movie ever. Not for young kids!

What's the story.

THE GOOD SON is Henry ( Macaulay Culkin ), a violent child who hides his disturbing desire to kill with politeness and seemingly sensible behavior. Dramatic tension is constant as viewers contend with the threat he poses while his parents have no idea about the destruction he's already caused and his plans for more dangerous antisocial behavior. The boy puts on an act of sweetness and empathy but at his core he's cruel, unfeeling, and murderous. As he lays groundwork to blame his crimes on his visiting cousin Mark ( Elijah Wood ), he makes the case that no adults will believe stories of what he's done. Henry argues that instead, such claims will be treated as vindictive lies and get the tattletale in trouble. Mark sees no way out except to try to defend and rescue Henry's parents and sister from the threat Henry poses to them. Spoiler alert: After an unrelenting 87-minute's worth of tension and worry, it may be reassuring to know that, at the last minute, Henry's evil is revealed and resolved, albeit violently.

Is It Any Good?

The Good Son is a well-constructed thriller that achieves sustained tension by means of deft direction, sharp plotting, and excellent performances, especially by two child actors, Culkin and Wood. Wendy Crewson as Susan, Mark's aunt and Henry's mother, gives a persuasive performance as a grieving parent still trying to give her love and support to her remaining children. Culkin was 13 at the time the movie was released but looks far younger, and Wood was 12. Despite the draw of young performers, some teens may find this too intense.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what to do if a family member has mental problems. What would you do if you learned that someone close to you had mental health issues that caused the person to be violent?

How does this movie create tension? Did you find yourself hoping that adults would learn the truth about Henry?

What's the appeal of scary movies?

Movie Details

In theaters : September 24, 1993
On DVD or streaming : September 11, 2012
Cast : Elijah Wood , Macaulay Culkin , Wendy Crewson
Director : Joseph Ruben
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : 20th Century Fox
Genre : Thriller
Run time : 87 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : for acts of violence and terror involving a disturbed child
Last updated : September 5, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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The Good Son Reviews

...sporadically watchable yet mostly (and curiously) inert...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 10, 2022

Unhappily, although Ian McEwan's screenplay has its strong points, and Ruben skillfully builds tension and suspense, this updated, gender-bent Bad Seed falters at key points.

Full Review | Jun 6, 2018

Creepy '90s thriller about murderous kid has violence.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 29, 2017

I guarantee you this would have been 100% more effective if Wood and Culkin switched roles

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 22, 2012

A second-rate thriller with first-rate production values.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 25, 2007

This peculiar thriller doesn't deliver enough jolts to leave the audience screaming.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2007

There's wonderful use made of a Maine port town, and Ruben gets a dizzying thrill or two out of overhead shots, but the conceptual overload finally prevents this from coming together.

A summer camp classic.

Full Review | Feb 9, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 10, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jun 6, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 20, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 0/5 | Jul 23, 2004

Not a good movie, but a creepy performance by Culkin rescues it.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 16, 2003

An unintentionally uproarious melodrama; a must-see for fans of the truly terrible

Full Review | Original Score: 0/5 | Jul 15, 2003

The Good Son has a handsome, scenic look that sustains interest, and a suspenseful ending that is quite literally gripping.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 20, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 20, 2003

Almost worth it to see Macauly Culkin's demise. Almost.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | May 12, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 17, 2002

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 4, 2002

Not The Bad Seed but not bad.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 10, 2002

Cast & crew
User reviews

The Good Son

A young boy stays with his aunt and uncle and becomes friends with his cousin, a boy of the same age who shows increasing signs of violent and psychopathic behavior. A young boy stays with his aunt and uncle and becomes friends with his cousin, a boy of the same age who shows increasing signs of violent and psychopathic behavior. A young boy stays with his aunt and uncle and becomes friends with his cousin, a boy of the same age who shows increasing signs of violent and psychopathic behavior.

Joseph Ruben
Macaulay Culkin
Elijah Wood
Wendy Crewson
195 User reviews
51 Critic reviews
45 Metascore
1 win & 2 nominations

Top cast 19

Arizona Doctor
Doctor in Blackport
Factory Worker
Woman Reporter
Woman at Rescue

Richard in Picture

Child's Mother At Hockey
(uncredited)
Young Man Next to Swing Set at Park
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

Trivia Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood became very close friends during production, and remain so to this day.
Goofs When Henry and Mark are climbing the tree at the start of the film, a crew member can be seen, dressed all in black, helping Mark on to the platform.

[Susan walks alone with Henry in the woods to talk about Richard]

Susan : Henry?

Henry : Yes, Mom?

Susan : You have to tell me the truth now. What happened the night Richard died?

Henry : Don't you know?

Susan : I'd like to hear it from you.

Henry : I was downstairs playing.

Susan : [Susan gets down in front of Henry's face] Henry, don't lie to me, all right? Just don't lie to me. Now you tell me... Did you kill Richard?

Henry : What if I did?

Susan : Well, um...

Henry : What, Mom?

Susan : We'll get you help.

Henry : You don't look too good, Mom. Looks like you need the help.

Susan : You have to trust me, Henry.

Henry : No. No, I can't. You just want to send me away, don't you?

Susan : Why, no. No, I don't.

Henry : You wanna put me in one of those places.

Susan : No, Henry.

Henry : Well, I'd much rather die, you hear me? I'd much rather be dead!

Susan : Henry! Henry, no!

[Susan runs after Henry into the woods]

Susan : Henry? Henry!

Susan : [Susan runs to the cliff of the hill where Henry might've jumped off] Henry! Henry! Henry!

Henry : [Henry comes walking up behind Susan] Looking for me, Mom?

Susan : Oh, Henry.

Henry : You really thought I was going to jump, huh? I guess you don't know me very well, Mom.

[Henry runs to take a dash into Susan]

Alternate versions The 1995 UK video version was cut by 33 secs by the BBFC to edit shots of Henry and Mark dropping a lifelike human dummy into a stream of traffic to cause a motorway pile-up, as this was considered a dangerous imitable technique. The cuts were waived for the 2002 version.
Connections Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Striking Distance/Into the West/The Age of Innocence/Household Saints/Baraka (1993)

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 27 minutes
Dolby Stereo

More to explore

THE GOOD SON

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

(B, H, L, M, VV) A moral though slightly humanistic worldview; 5 obscenities & 3 profanities; boy does evil deeds even attempted murder; several violent episodes resulting from deliberately planned events.

More Detail:

In THE GOOD SON, set on the rugged Maine coast, Henry Evans (Macaulay Culkin) is a seriously disturbed twelve-year-old who does evil deeds. His cousin, Mark, comes to live with his family following his mother’s death, and the boys enjoy each other initially. However, Mark soon becomes aware of evil in Henry after he deliberately kills a dog with an arrow-like weapon he conceals in an old shed. Henry does many other evil things, and Mark tries to tell different individuals but to no avail.

A basic premise of evil versus good weaves itself into the complicated fabric of human nature in THE GOOD SON. The question the film asks is “What makes a person bad?” However, it also asks, “Where does evil come from?” The Gothic film setting promotes a dichotomy of good versus evil. The fine, picturesque cinematography, suspenseful pace and timing, and competent acting on the parts of Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood make the film worth seeing–although not for children at all, since they will see one of their favorite actors perpetrating evil on people. But for those who like a good psychological thriller, THE GOOD SON could supply an evening’s enjoyment.

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Home » Horror News » The Good Son (1993) Revisited – Horror Movie Review

The Good Son (1993) Revisited – Horror Movie Review

The new episode of the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw video series looks back at The Good Son, starring Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood

The episode of Best Horror Movie You Never Saw covering The Good Son was Written and Narrated by Kier Gomes, Edited by Paul Bookstaber, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

There is nothing like a proverbial bond between one’s own offspring. The joys are finding your inner self within them. The feeling of self-fulfillment, reproducing your very own mini-me. The realization that you have much more purpose in this world than just being a cog in corporate America riding that 9-5 grind. Ah yes, the moments you share with your own child far outweigh the trials and tribulations of dealing with the everyday stress of adulthood. But what if that child has an embedded evil inside of them? What if their own volition comes with malice and harm? Would you cope with still accepting them as they were? Would you sleep with one eye open, bedroom door locked, just waiting to meet your demise at the hands of your child? We have seen it many times prior in our horror cinema archives, but one of the best iterations of this classic horror trope comes from director Joseph Ruben. It asks the question: What if Kevin McCallister from Home Alone is the very child you fear and becomes your very own personal grim reaper when the time is right? Downright terrifying. So let’s look at why 1993’s The Good Son (watch it HERE ) is one of the Best Horror Movies You Never Saw.

After the critical success and praise of Macaulay Culkin’s Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, it was time for our favorite child star to spread his wings. He was going to go from dispatching pesky bandits, and move up to eliminating family members with evil, malicious intent. It also gave another famous child star, and Mr. Frodo Baggins himself, Elijah Wood, availability to play the other co-lead. So he stepped into the role of protagonist Mark, serving as Culkin’s cousin in the film.

The Good Son was in development hell since 1988 and went through multiple shutdowns due to budgeting. It was actually Macaulay Culkin’s father, Kit Culkin who got the gears turning again. Kit Culkin wanted his son to be in this movie so bad that he threatened 20th Century Fox to put Macaulay in The Good Son , or he will remove Macaulay from being in Home Alone 2 . 20th Century Fox agreed and the original director Michael Lehmann eventually left the production due to disagreements with Kit Culkin. Director Joseph Rubin, who had experience with horror films before like The Stepfather and Sleeping with the Enemy, wasn’t the first choice to direct the movie.

The Good Son went into production in November 1992 and ended three months later in February 1993 which allowed ample time for Macaulay Culkin to finish up his production schedule on Home Alone 2. Guess Kit wasn’t able to threaten his way out of that.

The Good Son takes off with our main protagonist Mark, played by Elijah Wood, being sent to his aunt and uncle’s house after the death of his mother. His father leaves him for a business trip overseas which puts us on this dreadful journey of awkwardness as Mark hasn’t seen his extended family for a whopping ten years. From there Mark is greeted by his external family and takes to having a potential friend in his cousin, Henry, and little cousin Connie. You may not recognize her but that’s Macaulay Culkin’s real-life sister, Quinn. Not the last time we’ll see one of Culkin’s siblings show up, but we’ll get to that later.

What a time for a grieving boy to make a new friend in Henry. Funny thing is, Henry is not the innocent, charming little boy his family makes him out to be. Henry first introduces himself dangling upside down on the banister with a creepy handmade face mask out of something from Leatherface’s lair – if you come across any kid that makes these types of masks as a hobby: stay clear. Also don’t let someone you hardly know kick your legs with vicious intent at the dinner table and passing it off as playing. Henry is turning into a bonafide little shit already.

As we keep venturing down the psycho rabbit hole we see dubious things like egging on Mark about not smoking cigarettes, playfully joking on letting him go dangling from a tree house, or digging at Mark’s deceased mother’s skin color after death. The ball of yarn starts to unravel, and Henry’s sinister intentions start to become more clear.

We see Henry and Mark continue their journey day after day running from rabid dogs and shooting animals with makeshift bolt guns and eventually killing the rabid dog that Henry taunted. Elijah Wood went on a journey to destroy a ring in Mordor. In The Good Son , he’s on a journey to fuckedville with the devil incarnate himself, yet I’d take Mordor over this any day. We see Mark and Henry’s mother form a bond as well, which makes Henry very jealous, he does love to stalk in the shadows watching his cousin get too close to his own family. Wendy Crewson played the mother here but was originally cast with Mary Steenburgen. Unfortunately, she had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Oh what could have been.

Throughout the movie, we start putting clues together of Henry’s brother, Richard, who passed away as a baby. Richard is played by Macaulay Culkin’s real-life brother Rory. But don’t expect a cameo in the flesh as he just appears in picture form. The mother overlooking the horizon on a cliff, Mark passing by Richard’s empty room, the face the mother makes when Mark asks about Richard in a picture frame, the marital discourse about Richard, it all points to Henry and it’s tearing Susan apart.

Now here’s when the sadistic, asshole meter starts to burst. Henry shows Mark a life-size ragdoll by the name of Mr. Highway. They take it above an overpass and Henry decides to push it off resulting in a devastating pile up. Hell, even Henry decides to put his own sister in harm’s way by throwing her into thinning ice, which almost kills her. What a jerk. He doubles down by blackmailing Mark, saying if he steps out of line, he can tell his parents that Mark made him do awful things. Oh, what a tangled web Henry weaves.

Director Joseph Rubin was asked if he thought people would be upset that Macaulay would say the F word on screen to which director Joseph Rubin replied, “I love that moment, it’s so shocking and so unexpected, and that’s what movies are for, if you want to watch something safe, just watch tv. This movie hopefully pushes things to the edge. Mac got a kick out of it, and I got a kick out of it so we just did it.”

It’s Henry’s mother Susan that eventually decides to go in Henry’s clubhouse one morning and spots Richard’s rubber duck. The same duck that was in the tub and went missing after Richard drowned. Henry asks for the duck back, but an altercation happens, raising an alarm in his mom’s head that Henry was the one that killed Richard and Mark may be telling the truth after all. It’s a great reveal and really sells the danger.

Back at the house Mark pulls out some sharp scissors and threatens Henry with them. With the blade to Henry’s throat, Henry eggs him on to do it, but not before Henry’s father walks in and locks Mark in their study and gets the therapist. Henry waits for his mother to return and asks to go for a walk…. yea let’s see how that pans out. Mark sees them walk off and breaks the window and chases after them. After admitting to his mom that he killed Richard, he runs off but clearly, it’s another trap, as Susan, the mother walks down by the rock face to check for Henry. Henry comes through the bushes like a battering ram and shoves her off the cliff but she manages to get miraculous hand placement and clings on.

The Good Son Macaulay Culkin Elijah Wood

Here is where the 3rd act plays out and we finally see that little asshole get his comeuppance. When Henry is about to deal the death blow to his mother, Mark tackles him to the ground, resulting in Susan to climb back up. While they roll around and tussle, they both wind up over the cliff but Susan grabs them both before they can fall to their deaths. During an interview with Yahoo, Elijah Wood stated that the third act was entirely practical. He and Macauley Culkin were trained to be comfortable hanging from that same cliff 180 feet above ground with multiple harnesses held by a secure crane. Hard to imagine it not being green screen today. Outside of these cliff scenes, the rest of The Good Son was entirely filmed in Massachusetts. The moments on the cliff however were filmed off Lake Superior in Minnesota and was the best possible choice after weeks of location scouting.

And it works wonderfully. I mean, this is the setting for one of the most intense set pieces of the movie, so it needed to work. When Susan is forced to make the decision of who she’s going to save Mark or Henry, it’s a terrifying dilemma. But I mean, he is still an absolute psychopath. So maybe the decision isn’t too difficult.

The Good Son released on September 24, 1993 and took in $12.5 million on its opening weekend. It would end up with over $60.6 million worldwide off a budget of just $17 million. Not a bad result especially given the circumstances that it was an R-rated thriller with horror elements. Not to mention a total departure from Macauley’s family-oriented Home Alone films. During the 90’s, making 60 million worldwide for an R-rated flick was an immense accomplishment and that was due to Macauley’s global status as a box-office darling. The reviews, however, would not be so kind. In fact, everyone’s favorite review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes currently has the film at a measly 25%. Even still, the film has many fans. Hell, why else would we be featuring it on this show?

The stars of The Good Son have had quite the film careers since. Elijah Wood has consistently been a staple of Hollywood, etching his legacy with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Elijah was always infatuated with the horror genre growing up because his older brother let him watch horror films without their parents knowing. He was happy to develop films for an adult audience while being a kid because he knew other child actors at the time that were solely in funny, kid-oriented movies films. Elijah gravitated towards the serious subject manner in The Good Son . So it’s not a shocker to see what’s he’s gotten up to nowadays… [ Maniac ]

However, Macauley Culkin’s Hollywood star faded as he got mixed in with substance abuse and disappeared from the Hollywood scene for years until he recently came back and joined American Horror Story, Dollface, and The Righteous Gemstones . It’s nice to see Macauley’s fall from grace get slowly back to his feet. You’d figure that both Elijah Wood and Macauley Culkin hated one another during filming battling it out as the top child actor at the time, but they became best friends during production, playing war with sticks In between takes. They still keep in touch to this day and remain good friends. Their chemistry on-screen is highly believable, and the tension is palpable whenever they come into conflict with one another making their scenes truly memorable.

The Good Son has a more pros than cons and serves as a horror/thriller hybrid. Henry’s intentions are in the same vein as other “innocent looking” killer films such as Bad Seed, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Mikey . There is a creep factor to Henry, he lurks in the shadows from banisters, doorways, and staircases. He even sets up his own cousin in a game of cat and mouse. By the film’s end you start to wonder Henry’s mindset – was it jealousy that filled his heart with rage and that he was no longer the center of attention by his mother and father? Or was he, like Michael Myers, nothing but pure evil? Even worse is that Henry’s actions mostly take place in the daytime which makes him more of an evil bastard looking to get caught. It rides that fine line of horror/thriller so perfectly because Henry personifies the monsters that are within the horror genre. He might not slash and gash, but he surely knows how to manipulate, lie, torture, and kill like the best of them. Which is why The Good Son is the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw.

A couple previous episodes of the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw series can be seen below. To see more, and to check out some of our other shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

About the Author

Cody is a news editor and film critic, focused on the horror arm of JoBlo.com, and writes scripts for videos that are released through the JoBlo Originals and JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channels. In his spare time, he's a globe-trotting digital nomad, runs a personal blog called Life Between Frames, and writes novels and screenplays.

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Cast & Crew

The Good Son Reviews

45 Metascore
1 hr 27 mins
Drama, Horror, Suspense
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A young boy is sent to spend time with relatives after the death of his mother. While at first the boy and his cousin bond and become friends, the cousin begins to show a darker side, and the boy begins to fear for the lives of his family members.

A contemporary gloss on THE BAD SEED, THE GOOD SON rests on the pale shoulders of HOME ALONE star Macaulay Culkin, who plays the psychotic brat who's got everyone but his wide-eyed cousin fooled. Ten-year-old Mark (Elijah Wood) suffers a double emotional blow when his mother dies and his father (Daniel Hugh Kelly) is forced to take a lengthy business trip to Japan. Mark is sent to stay with his uncle Jack (David Morse), Aunt Susan (Wendy Crewson) and cousins Connie (Quinn Culkin) and Henry (Macaulay Culkin), who's his age. At first, Mark and Henry get along like a house on fire, indulging in childish pranks on the order of smashing windows, scaring cats with a homemade crossbow and playing war games in the picturesque Maine woods. Mark soon realizes there are unsuspected depths to Henry, who threatens to topple Mark from a sky-high tree house ("If I drop you, do you think you could fly?"), heaves a lifelike dummy into traffic for the fun of seeing the cars pile up, kills a dog with the crossbow, and insinuates darkly that he drowned his younger brother in the bathtub. But Henry's perfect son facade is so convincing that no-one believes Mark; everyone is convinced that he's just acting out the trauma of his mother's death. Mark believes that his mother has been reincarnated in Susan, and makes the mistake of confiding this to Henry. Additionally fueled by jealousy, Henry's clandestine reign of terror escalates, and he hints that he intends to kill Connie. But even after she has a suspicious skating accident, Mark's fears are dismissed. Only after Susan discovers Henry's secret playhouse (where the decor runs to hanged dolls and homemade lethal weapons), and finds the rubber duck missing from her dead baby's bath, does she begin to suspect the awful truth. THE GOOD SON's spectacularly literal climax involves a rocky cliff, pounding waves, and the desperate Susan clinging to both boys, one on each arm, each a hair's breadth away from death. It becomes apparent that she can save only one: which will it be? Ultimately, she chooses Mark over her own son, whose body plunges into the sea below. Directed by Joseph Ruben, whose credits include SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, THE STEPFATHER and TRUE BELIEVER, THE GOOD SON is less enigmatic than the title suggests. Written by British novelist Ian McEwan, whose "The Cement Garden" and "The Comfort of Strangers" (both of which have been made into films) are darkly ambiguous stories of desire, deceptive appearances and hidden violence, THE GOOD SON is a second-rate thriller with first-rate production values. On a lower budget and without the hottest child star in America in the cast, Ruben and McEwan might have made a meaner, tougher and more successful thriller. From Henry's first appearance, wearing a scary mask of his own making (and carrying another, identical, one for Mark), it's painfully obvious what's going to happen, and the viewer is left to squirm at the criminal stupidity that afflicts everyone but Mark. The only real question is whether Henry will actually die; fortunately, the constraints of formula dictate the little malefactor's demise, and Ruben and McEwan don't buck the trend. THE GOOD SON's weakest link is Culkin, whose lush lips and kewpie-doll eyes are far less appealing on an adolescent than they were when he was a pre-teen, however questionable that attraction may have been. Henry was clearly meant to be a breakthrough role for the bankable Culkin (and the movie's production was held up to accommodate his schedule), designed to prove that childish comedy is not the limit of his talents. Unfortunately, it proves nothing of the sort. Culkin's line delivery is flat--even when the line is as wonderful as, "I feel sorry for you Mark. You just don't know how to have fun," delivered after Henry has caused a dreadful highway accident--and he's unable to suggest the menace that must lie just beneath the skin in order to generate any sort of proper suspense. Second billed Wood (whose credits include THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN and FOREVER YOUNG) is a far better actor, and his scenes with Culkin bring the child star's limitations into painful relief. (Violence.)

The Good Son (1993)

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The Good Son (1993)

Directed by joseph ruben.

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The Good Son is a 1993 American psychological thriller film directed by Joseph Ruben and also written by English novelist Ian McEwan. The film stars Elijah Wood and Macaulay Culkin.

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Florian Zeller ’s “ The Father ” was a searing portrait of a man struggling with dementia. It took us inside his increasingly shaky perception of the world with profound empathy, and Sir Anthony Hopkins ’ performance won an Oscar. He returns to Zeller’s disappointing “ The Son ” for a brief, bracing scene to let us know that the title character in this film is not the troubled teenager but the man who is both father and son. That man is Peter, played here by Hugh Jackman .

That scene, almost a full story in itself, is in sharp contrast to the rest of the film, which is well-intentioned but poorly constructed, counting on sympathy for characters who seem to be living in an alternate universe where teenagers have never struggled with mental illness. It zig-zags for no apparent purpose. There are repeated shots of characters not being present in what is happening because they are thinking about something else and repeated shots of a washing machine running and then still, a useless metaphor.

Peter is a highly successful professional who has important meetings about financial matters in a big office with impressive views of the Manhattan skyline. He is married to Beth ( Vanessa Kirby ) and they have a baby named Theo. They live in a beautiful apartment with tastefully exposed brick walls. As the movie begins, Beth is soothing Theo to sleep with a lullaby and Peter is smiling at them. They are a perfect, happy family. But then Kate ( Laura Dern ) rings the doorbell. She is Peter’s first wife and she has bad news about their 17-year-old son Nicholas ( Zen McGrath ). For the past month, he has not shown up at school.

Nicholas moves in with Peter, Beth, and Theo and starts at a new school. Peter is convinced that things are turning around for Nicholas. They are not.

There is nothing more painful than having a child who is suffering, and perhaps it is understandable that Peter and Kate are in denial about how severe the struggle is for Nicholas. But in 21st-century Manhattan it is unimaginable that wealthy parents would be so clueless, self-involved, and disconnected from the available resources to bungle their response so badly. There are some affecting scenes, especially one where Kate, with Dern heartbreakingly vulnerable, tells Peter she feels that she has failed. And Hopkins, as Peter’s icy father, is intriguingly narcissistic.

The scene is intended to connect to the rest of the story and illuminate Peter’s conflicts and his tendency to view his son as a barometer of his success. But it falls short. The film does occasionally give us a sense of the relentless impact of mental illness on caregivers; how a sick family member, especially a child, crushes the spirit of those who care the most. When he finally loses his temper, though, it is more about his feelings than Nicholas’ and his desperate attempts to essentially order his son to get better are portrayed with more sympathy from Zeller than they deserve from us.

“The Son” also touches on the feral cleverness of some people with mental illness and their skill at finding the right vulnerable places to distract us from seeing what’s going on with them or insisting on treatment. Nicholas knows Peter’s contempt for his own father’s neglect makes him especially sensitive to the suggestion that he has not been fully present, or that his leaving Kate for Beth and replacing not only his wife but his child makes it possible to divert his attention from the seriousness of Nicholas’ symptoms. Peter needs to think he is a good father so much—and needs to think that Nicholas thinks that—that he underestimates how desperately ill his son is, lulled by Nicholas’ one-two punch of recrimination and false assurance.

However, most of the power of these moments comes from our strong feelings about the issues, not from what we see, as the screenplay is superficial and manipulative. And there is a final non-twisty twist that is nearly an affront to us and the real-life families facing this pain, thankfully more sensitively portrayed in better movies.

Now playing in theaters.

Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com.

Hugh Jackman as Peter
Zen McGrath as Nicholas
Laura Dern as Kate
Vanessa Kirby as Beth
Anthony Hopkins as Peter’s Father
William Hope as Andrew
George Cobell as Young Nicholas
Isaura Barbé-Brown as Sophia
Mercedes Bahleda as Mary

Cinematographer

Ben Smithard
Christopher Hampton
Florian Zeller

Writer (based on the play by)

Hans Zimmer
Yorgos Lamprinos

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Summary A young boy stays with his aunt and uncle and befriends his cousin, a boy of the same age who begins showing increasing signs of violent and psychopathic behavior.

Directed By : Joseph Ruben

Written By : Ian McEwan

The Good Son

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The good son: film review.

Jesse James Miller digs into the story that wouldn't leave boxer Ray Mancini alone.

By THR Staff

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In The Good Son , documentarian Jesse James Miller benefits from a true story so perfect a Hollywood screenwriter might worry he was laying things on too thick: Born to a boxer whose promising career was cut short by wounds incurred defending his country, Ray Mancini adopted his pop’s nickname “Boom Boom” and made it his life’s mission to win the world championship for him. Then, at the height of his fame, a tragedy in the ring both made him a pariah and left a child on the other side of the world to be haunted by his own father’s shattered legacy. A compelling tale even for viewers with no interest in the sweet science, the film should make a respectable showing in limited theatrical bookings and would be a winner on ESPN or HBO.

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The Good Son Review

01 Jan 1993

Good Son, The

There is, of course, something quite satisfying in legitimately disliking Macaulay Culkin, and here, after a series of cutie-pie roles, the uberpygmy at last gives us the chance, donning the "nasty" mantle as the death-obsessed infant intent on nailing rival munchkin Elijah Wood.

It all begins with Jack (Bill Clinton-lookalike Morse), who, shortly after the death of his wife, is obliged to fulfil a two-week business engagement in Tokyo, thus forcing him into an awful dilemma. Does he a) palm his only son Mark (Wood) off on local friends/ relatives, or b) drive 3,000 miles to a craggy outpost in New England and deposit the infuriatingly doe-eyed nipper with the estranged brother who he hasn't seen for ten years? Given that this is a camp thriller, the answer is obvious; as is the reaction of Mark's cousin Henry (Culkin), who after initially extending the hand of friendship to the poor little mite, throws a major wobbler when he jealously perceives the interloper to be receiving the better of his parents' affections. And thus what starts out as a little bit of harmless tormenting escalates into all sorts of macabre pranks, like dangling Mark out of a treehouse and throwing life-like dummies in the path of passing motorists.

"Accidents will happen," squeaks Henry, screwing his face up and threatening Mark with something far worse if he blubs. Mark must, of course, fight back and, inevitably, there is a dark secret that motivates Henry's evil shenanigans. Herein lies the problem, for in driving the plot to its obvious conclusion i.e. the "good son" overcoming the "evil son" the protagonists are required to think and act like adults. And while it's difficult at the best of times to be sympathetic towards a bunch of American brats, when you add to the mix namby-pamby parents and a silly cliff-top climax, the end result is devoid of tension and often laughable. A good clip round the ear would have sorted out all this nonsense a long time ago.

The Good Son (1993) Ending, Explained

Joseph Ruben’s (‘Sleeping with the Enemy’) 1993 psychological thriller ‘The Good Son’ is a beautifully shot and deeply-unsettling film. Starring two of the most prominent child actors of the time, Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood, it is about the nature of evil and how looks can often be deceiving. Culkin’s angelic face juxtaposes the evil that is hiding within his character. Most of the film is set in a scenic port town of Maine, which, as it harbors a future serial killer, serves as a perfect metaphor for the movie’s primary antagonist. SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Good Son Plot Synopsis

The film opens with the death of Mark’s (Wood) mother (Ashley Crow). His father, Jack (David Morse), decides to go to Japan for a business deal that will settle him and his son for life. So, he travels across 11 states to put Mark in the care of Jack’s brother Wallace (Daniel Hugh Kelly) and his wife Susan (Wendy Crewson) for a couple of weeks. Mark is struck by how closely his aunt resembles his mother, although they are not apparently related. He meets his two cousins, Henry (Culkin) and Connie (Quinn Culkin).

Henry and Mark are of the same age, and by spending time with the other boy, Mark starts returning to his usual, happy self. But then he begins realizing that something is deeply wrong with Henry. He seems to have a macabre fascination with death, and continues to ask Mark, pointed questions about how his mother died. Henry also divulges several disturbing details about the death of his own brother, Richard (Rory Culkin).

When the adults are not watching, Henry starts showing psychotic tendencies around Mark. He kills a dog with a Ballista-type weapon and dumps its body into a well. Later, Henry causes a massive highway accident by throwing a human form off a bridge. He ensures Mark’s silence by making him complicit in each of his actions. When Henry tries to kill Connie by drowning her in a frozen pond, Mark decides to speak to his aunt about it.

While Susan initially doesn’t believe him, she does become suspicious of her son. Henry carefully manipulates others into believing that it is Mark, and not him, who is displaying psychotic tendencies. This leads to Wallace locking Mark in a room. Ultimately, Susan confronts Henry, demanding to know if he killed Richard. Seeing them heading towards the cliff, Mark becomes worried for Susan. He manages to get away from Wallace and runs after Susan and Henry.

The Good Son Ending

The climax of the film takes place on a cliff. Susan is understandably upset after learning that her one son killed the other. She is devastated and heartbroken but doesn’t let those emotions lead her to mindless anger. Instead, she tries to understand Henry and tells him that he needs help. But her soothing words seem to have the opposite effect than what she intended. Henry realizes that his mother is planning to institutionalize him.

So he leads Susan to the seaside cliff and pushes her off it, but she manages to cling to the edge. Henry picks up a rock and is about to drop it on his mother when Mark arrives. They fight and end up tumbling over the cliff together. After Susan pulls herself up, she tries to save both the boys. Even at that moment, Henry’s calculating mind is working. He keeps reminding her that he is her son and demands that she let Mark fall and pull him up.

These moments finally make Susan see that her son truly is a monster, and she makes a choice that will likely haunt her for the rest of her life. But at the same time, it is a choice for the greater good. If Susan did what Henry asked her to do and let Mark fall and pull him up, her son would have survived. Henry would have grown up and become a raging psychopath or a mass murderer. Therefore, Susan’s actions on the cliff possibly saved several lives.

The Mother-and-Son Bond

Before her death, Mark’s mother, Janice, tells him that she will always be with him. Young as he is, Mark takes this quite literally. And after meeting Susan, his beliefs are affirmed that his mother has returned to him. For her part, Susan gladly accepts this, hoping to help this motherless child find his way back to his happiness. But when Mark tries to tell her that Henry is attempting to kill Connie, she immediately reminds him that Henry is her son. The accompanying slap must have hurt Mark, both physically and emotionally, and forced him to retreat into a cocoon of despair.

However, that doesn’t prevent him from coming to Susan’s rescue when he senses that her life is in danger. In the closing scenes, we learn that Mark has returned home. He remembers the choice that Susan made on the cliff on that day and wonders whether she would make the same choice if she had to do it all over again. Mark reveals to the audience that he will always be curious but never speak to her about it. While it might have been a purposeful choice on Susan’s part to save Mark and not Henry, the temptation would be too big if she has to go through those moments again.

Parents are hardwired to overlook their children’s shortcomings. At the start of the film, both Wallace and Susan are blissfully unaware that their son doesn’t have a basic sense of morality. The truly dangerous aspect of Henry’s psychopathy is his complete awareness of the ramifications of his actions. He takes pleasure in causing suffering and misery to other people. For Henry, death is a treasure trove of mysteries that needs to be explored.

Read More: Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time

BADass SINema Unearthed - Blu-ray 4K UHD Review

The good son: special edition (1993) - blu-ray review.

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The Good Son is not a great movie; it’s not even a good one. Yet, Kino Studio Classics has seen fit to release it on blu-ray in spite of itself. That’s okay. The thriller has its moments, namely coming from the unsettling performance from Home Alone ’s (or was that Michael Jackson’s?) Macaulay Culkin. While it might suffer from one-note syndrome it’s probably the only real reason we care to revisit this title.

You could easily argue (and I would listen) that the young Elijah Wood, who clearly understands the material better, is the true star of this kid-centered thriller. He’s remarkably skilled at bringing some believability to the drama. It’s Culkin’s performance; however, that keeps B-movie fanatics coming back.

So two rising child actors are leading the charge in The Good Son . Directed by Sleeping with the Enemy ’s Joseph Ruben and written by novelist Ian McEwan, the film first centers itself around the grief-stricken character of Mark Evans (Wood) in the American southwest. We are quickly whisked away to the bitter cold of the northeast, though, as one kid’s world gets knocked off its course due to an unexpected death.

I forgot the film even started in the southwest as there are some awesome and awe inspiring landscapes that run up at you at the beginning of the film, suggesting that there will be some poetry of significance in what transpires in the movie. Desert vistas as far as the eye can see. And there’s Wood staring out into the distance. And, truly, some of the shots are where this one earns its high marks. Thanks to John Lindley’s eye, the film is quite beautiful to look at.

If only everything else in The Good Son matched his keen eye. Unfortunately, only the ending provides the gut punch the rest of the film needed. And if all the stories about working alongside the Culkin family are to be believed (they should be), then I’ll bet there are some real HORROR stories about the making of this one.

In the story, it is a sad coincidence of unrelated items that causes Wood’s character to blame himself for the loss of his mother. His father (David Morse), running away from all responsibility, drops his grieving son off with his brother’s family in the Northeast as he journeys to Tokyo on a business trip. You’ll get over it in time, is the message that is communicated to his bawling son. Ouch.

Things don’t get better. We are introduced to Culkin’s Henry character as he runs through the house wearing a Halloween mask. He’s a monster. Get it? And truly, there are few brats like him on film. Of course, The Bad Seed did it better. From the doll hanging by a noose in his shed to the questions surrounding the passing of his younger brother, Henry is one hell of a fucked up mess. He even growls at dogs and tries to drown his sister.

And the amount of trouble the boys get into together – including the unforgettable moment when they drop a dummy from an overpass into the traffic below to see what chaos can be caused – is so large that it’s a wonder that the (always) wide-eyed (and much kinder) Mark doesn’t drop him sooner. Instead, the shit keeps piling up around the duo until things reach a very dramatic breaking point, in one of the film’s best moments high atop a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Maybe, as Henry suggests in the movie when Mark begins to question his violent pranks, I just don’t know how to have fun. Do you?

The Good Son has been delivered.

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MPAA Rating: R for acts of violence and terror involving a disturbed child. Runtime: 87 mins Director : Joseph Ruben Writer: Ian McEwan Cast: Macaulay Culkin, Elijah Wood, Wendy Crewson Genre : Horror | Thriller Tagline: Evil has many faces. Memorable Movie Quote: "I'm sorry, Mom. We were playing this really dumb game. We weren't fighting. We were just playing. Weren't we, Mark?" Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Official Site: Release Date: September 24, 2017 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: August 1, 2017 Synopsis : Evil Has Many Faces! Evil resides in an unexpected place in this gripping, suspense-filled drama, written by Ian McEwan (Atonement) and directed by Joseph Ruben (The Stepfather, Sleeping with the Enemy). Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone) stars as Henry, an angelic-looking boy who seems loving and loyal to his parents, sister and friends. Only his cousin Mark (Elijah Wood, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) sees what lurks behind Henry's smile - secret thoughts and a love of deadly sadistic games. But when Mark tries to warn Henry's family, they won't believe him, leaving the terrified youngster alone to battle his jealous, menacing cousin.

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Blu-ray Details:

Collector's Edition Home Video Distributor: Kino Lorber Available on Blu-ray - August 1, 2017 Screen Formats: 1.85:1 Subtitles : English SDH Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Kino Studio Classics present The Good Son on 1080p with the minimum of effort. It looks fairly colorless – especially with some of those landscape views. The image truly only comes to life with the brightness of the snow. Black levels are weak, too. Details, while solid, are never bombastic. All of this suggests that there was no visual upgrade to the release from previous versions. Presented with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and a 2.0 DTS-HD sound mix, the blu-ray transfer is adequate for the content in the movie.

Supplements:

Commentary :

Special Features:

I love it when the supplemental features are more interesting than the movie itself. That’s the case with this release, especially when director Joseph Ruben and cinematographer John Lindley get 23 minutes to defend their film. Actress Wendy Crewson dishes the dirt on the challenge with working alongside the Culkin’s – namely his father – and Daniel Hugh Kelly talks about being cast in the movie and his memory of the shoot. Morse, who is barely in the film, talks about Gary Sinise dropping out and the location of the shoot. A theatrical trailer is included, too.

Interview with Director Joseph Ruben
Interview with actor Wendy Crewson
Interview with actor Daniel Hugh Kelly
Interview with actor David Morse
Interview with Cinematographer John Lindley

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Why ‘The Good Son’ Was a Misfire Then … and Now

Macauley culkin shattered his 'home alone' brand in misbegotten thriller.

Joseph Ruben’s “The Good Son” (1993) gives us mixed feelings right from the start.

The opening credits’ font and Elmer Bernstein’s score suggest a tender family drama, akin to “My Girl” (1992), both of which star Macauley Culkin. The twist is that, whereas Culkin became a massive star from the PG-rated mega-blockbuster “Home Alone” (1990), and “My Girl” is best remembered for the shocking tragedy surrounding his onscreen character, “The Good Son” was something else altogether.

The Good Son (1993) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers

Ruben’s film was famous for positioning Culkin, among the biggest and youngest movie stars in the world, in the lead of an R-rated psychological thriller where he would play a 1990’s variant on “The Omen” (1976).

Understandably, lots of kids attended the film’s opening weekend and were horrified that their star was murdering people on screen, as opposed to setting up wacky/ghastly traps for the deserving Wet Bandits.

Film periodicals reported that Culkin was receiving a giant paycheck to star in “The Good Son,” but also that the film was a part of family deal making, as the star’s father wouldn’t allow his son to make another commercial vehicle (the second “Home Alone”) without stretching in a non-comic role.

Hence, here’s Culkin, acting alongside Elijah Wood and failing to keep the would-be Hobbit from stealing his big dramatic movie from him.

Wood plays Mike, whose mother has passed and is sent to stay with his cousin Henry (Culkin), who needs a friend and a partner for the havoc he’s about to unleash on his household.

Even the poster felt like a bad call, with a tight picture of a smiling Culkin, under a tagline that read “Evil Has Many Faces.” Informing your audience that you’re not supposed to like the most endearing child star of his generation seemed like a stretch.

https://twitter.com/ShoshanaKessock/status/1664240608699924481

Culkin’s introductory scene, where he emerges wearing a mask not out of place in David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” (1992), poses a problem; is he too cute to be playing such an evil character or is the character too evil for an actor so cute?

Coming only a year after “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992), this far-too-early career stretch for Culkin fascinates in its unsteady attempts to embrace the darkness of the story.

Wood carries the film, and the premise is lean and direct enough to provide for entertaining trash. The problem is that it’s Wood who provides the film’s center, and not Culkin’s look-how-bad-I-am turn, that powers the movie.

Culkin’s self-aware line readings were funny in “Uncle Buck” (1989) and “Home Alone” but come across as amateurish here. Perhaps he and Wood should have swapped roles. Culkin has some good moments, but his self-conscious acting is a stark contrast to the always believable Wood.

Ruben is a good director, but he nailed this kind of material in “ The Stepfather ” (1987), which also sported a perversely riveting concept (based on a horrific true story) and was anchored by Terry O’Quinn’s unforgettable performance.

Too light for horror movie fans and too sick for children, “The Good Son” has none of the bite of the Damien Thorn films (any of them) and can’t hold a candle to latter like “Joshua” (2007), the best version of this genre of movie.

Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood on the set of the movie The Good Son. 1993 [1200×941] pic.twitter.com/HstPixXPXt — Historyland (@HistoryIand) August 22, 2023

“The Bad Seed” (1956) is cited as a key in this subgenre, but Ruben’s film wants to go all-in and embrace the madness of “Bloody Birthday” (1981) and “The Children” (1980) but keeps pulling back.

There is social commentary and parental reflection to gauge within these types of movies, but the story’s twisted potential is softened by an overly safe approach.

It’s a weird experience watching “The Good Son,” in that we want the film to get much gnarlier but cringe whenever the film is cruel enough to suggest that Kevin McCalister would stoop to killing a dog for fun.

The screenplay is by Ian McEwan and likely would have played better without the stunt casting. McEwan’s novel, “The Comfort of Strangers,” became a jolting Christopher Walken-led 1990 Paul Schrader drama.

I had an especially strange experience seeing “The Good Son” in a theater on opening night.

It was playing on multiple screens and the usher accidentally sent my father, brother and I into a sold-out theater where there were almost no seats left and the film was 20 minutes from finishing.

The three of us sat down, got to hear the adorable young star declare “Don’t f— with me” to a theater full of gasps and, just a few scenes later, the movie was over.

We realized what had happened, and my dad arranged for us to see the film from the beginning. Yet, seeing the film in its entirety was almost exactly like watching the extremely truncated version: we’re there to watch Culkin majorly misbehave and do really bad things, then the movie is over.

The perverse attraction of the film was present in either experience.

In the final scene, a mother makes a choice that allows for a feel-good voice over before the end credits. Had the mother made the trickier, more dramatically richer choice of choosing to save a different kid, it would have made for a darker, more thought-provoking conclusion.

Everything about “The Good Son” is like that – as ugly as this gets, it barely earns its R-rating and soft peddles a story that needed filmmakers unafraid of whom was playing the very bad seed.

How does anyone think it wouldn’t be a horror movie? It’s a bad call for a father to think a horror movie shows range. It’s actually a step backwards. An actor of his stature needs higher budget dramatic movies.

The casting of Culkin was genuis. Look at Ted Bundy, some times the most unsuspecting of people can be the most sick and twisted. No one complained about Henry Fonda’s evil character in Once Upon A Time In the West. That’s what made it so great, people could not picture Henry being evil and he did it so well.

I think the movie works and Culkin did not die in The Good Son, he escaped and was adopted by the McCallisters, where he was then allowed to fulfill all his dark fantasies under the guise of a mischievous kid. I mean really, the amount of damage Kevin did to his house far exceeded the cash value of what the wet bandits would have stolen. Kevin McCallister is a straight up sociopath, which the director of The Good Son recognized.

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