A mystery thriller set in the north east of America, ‘An Angry Boy’ follows Owen (Scott Callenberger) a young man who intervenes in a mugging, with the video of his heroics going viral. The rescue is seen by a man from Owen’s past, inviting him back into the young man’s life, with devastating effects to Owen and those closest to him.
During summer break Owen and his friend Ricky (Caleb Lowery) spend their time toiling at their local high school, cleaning up and prepping for the upcoming semester. After Owen rescues a local reporter from being robbed at an ATM and the video going viral, Mark (Thomas Cambridge) a man from Owen’s past recognizes the man and tracks him down.
After being tracked down, Mark assaults Owen and his mother at their home, killing Owen’s mother and being thwarted by Ricky before getting to Owen. Moving in with Ricky and his mother, Owen is met by Dr. Eric Fisher (Jason Simon) who reveals to him that Mark had kidnapped him as a boy and he was found days later, unable to recollect anything of the time he spend away from home. Enraged and hellbent on confronting Mark, Owen sets out to find his kidnapper.
A tone ripe with suspense, the film surprisingly utilizes a jump-scare early on in the film. Completely unexpected, the atmosphere shifts to that of one where danger is to be expected around every corner, forcing the viewers to assume the worst and keep their guard up for the duration of the feature.
Portraying a sadistic and demented child kidnapper, Thomas Cambridge brings to the screen an unquestionable form of evil through Mark. With an unyielding urge to do wrong and unapologetically move forward in his doings, the film brings to the forefront the substrata of humanity that many of us have chosen to ignore for ease of coping with the idea that such people exist.
Following Owen on his quest for revenge, ‘An Angry Boy’ captures both his need to avenge his mother and his urge to satisfy the interminable hate that he harbors towards his captors. Through a mandatory riding around, stake out and peeing-in-a-bottle-in-his-car montage, we’re presented with a familiar yet surprisingly ensnaring sequence that draws us in.
In anticipation of the young man’s inevitable meeting with his kidnapper, Owen crosses paths with Carl (Logan Keeler), an associate of Mark’s. Mounting in tension, the film leaves one on the edge about how close to danger Owen really is without him knowing it. As if a breath of fresh air, Owen also comes across Jane (Lauren McCann) who offers to help him when his car breaks down. Twisting the tale, Jane drugs Owen and delivers him to Mark, disallowing for a moment of respite for the young man and the unavoidable confrontation.
Coming to a violent end, the third act largely revolves around the tension breaking, as Ricky tracks down Owen’s phone and meets with Jane in search of his friend, only to be shot down. Simultaneously, Owen and Mark resolve to a gory struggle which is put to rest as Owen chooses to impose on Mark an end intended for him.
Gory and unsettling, the indie delivers more than can be expected on a minuscule budget, with the creative forces behind the camera constructing a powerful and impactful story that resonates not only due to it’s violent scenes, but in spite of them. The film carries with it uncomfortable but very real truths that the audience is forced to endure until the bitter end, retaining it’s message about child abuse and abduction. Inviting us all to remain vigilant and have no tolerance for harming children, ‘An Angry Boy’ is easily a worth while endeavor for those who enjoy suspense, mystery and violent stories of retribution.
Score: 4/4
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