"Good Boy": A Wacky Blend of Dark Comedy and Thriller

Picture this: A rowdy youngster named Tommy (Anson Boon), picked up from London streets, finds himself woken up, shackled in a spooky dark basement. His captor, Chris (Stephen Graham), is a calm, composed family man who plans to reeducate the young boy. While Good Boy's offbeat plot might get under your skin, the inconsistent execution of the story might leave you wanting more.

The creativeness in Komasa's cult-like drama wears a mask of thrilling horror, as it unfurls in a grotesquely lit capture chamber, one that would be any serial killer's favored hosting place. Chris, the master of the house, cleverly disguises his monstrous side behind the appearance of a quiet married man. But it doesn't take long for his veiled threat to unfold with his large hands and eerie obsession with distinguishing marks that could identify a dead body.

Chris’s family is also quite a sight. Kathryn (Andrea Riseborough), Chris's wife, stands out with her ghostly paleness that makes a stark contrast to their overly cheerful son Jonathan (Kit Rakusen). The noticeable cheeriness and gloominess among family members riddle the plot with mystery. Keeping regular company is Rina (Monika Frajczyk), an undocumented Macedonian housekeeper whose frightful discovery of chained Tommy leaves her more than a little disturbed.

One curious, yet amusing twist in the story is that Chris and Jonathan do not express shock over Tommy's grim condition, dropping hints about past events of similar nature. However, the film remains tight-lipped, leaving the viewers to connect the vague dots. Tommy's addictive tendencies and reckless past allude to the young punk's desperate need for control and belonging.

Good Boy takes viewers on a stimulating ride of paradoxical desires for freedom against security and individuality against collective care. The flickering hurt in Tommy's eyes when Chris coldly dismisses his life as "unnoticed" sparks empathy for the captive young lad. It becomes a powerful testament of his internal struggle to resist complete obedience, even as he appreciates the thoughtful gestures made by Chris in addressing his needs.

One of the striking elements in Good Boy is Chris's surprising demand for an apology from Tommy. For Chris, Tommy's retaliation against Kathryn holds more weight than his own trampling of Tommy’s personal freedom and dignity. This dynamic simply adds to the entertainingly absurd and twisted dimensions of Chris's personality.

Despite a compelling performance by the cast, the characters remain one-dimensional archetypes. Graham brilliantly pulls off the unsettling role of Chris, a seemingly benign man with disturbingly stringent principles while Riseborough, with her commanding presence, struggles to maintain consistency in her role as Kathryn. Boon's portrayal of troubled adolescents shines the spotlight on his performance, making Tommy’s character stand out.

In the end, all the characters, unfortunately, remain entrapped in the typical story roles, like the stern father figure Chris, the motherly Kathryn, innocent Jonathan, and defiant yet dependent Tommy. The title "Good Boy", coupled with the image of the chained Tommy, not-so-subtly compares Tommy’s captivity to a canine needing discipline.

While the peculiar situation that Tommy and Chris find themselves in might compel you to finish the film, it's hard to empathize with the characters or their choices during their ordeal. The lack of this emotional depth leaves Good Boy feeling more like an ensemble of amateur dramatic performances rather than a masterfully narrated thriller.