Boy A

Pushes the right buttons, but nothing about it feels particularly inspired or refreshing. Andrew Garfield does a great job, however the introverted, shy type of protagonist that’s given to him is very typical for this kind of film. The rest of the acting ranges from passable to bad (the kids are not very good). When it comes to the writing, I liked this idea of pointing out how difficult it can be to hit the reset button in life, but besides that nothing left much of an impression. I’m not entirely sure what the appeal is supposed to be between the average character development, adequate dialogue and predictable character arcs. Even the filmmaking consists of a lot of flat cinematography and typical sad piano/guitar embellishments, feels very much like a first time director. Overall, while this might be recommendable for Andrew Garfield completists, I think it’s fair to label it with one simple word: generic. 4.5/10

Like brushing my teeth with a cheese grater, I'm too sensitive for this shit. The way the story unfolds to tease all the trauma you know on its way, and then how they hold off on actually hitting you with it is an exercise in excruciating anticipation. Andrew Garfield nails this role like a funeral director with a coffin lid. At least the final act slips into melodrama so I could walk away from this experience only slightly bruised rather than totally wrecked.