The Good Son

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2:09

The Good Son

R

1993

1h 27m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

26%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Mark (Elijah Wood), a young boy who loses his mother, must stay with his extended family while his father is away on business. Mark becomes acquainted with his cousin Henry (Macaulay Culkin). However, the extent of Henry's depravity becomes clear when Mark sees him kill a neighbor's dog and intentionally create a traffic pileup on the highway. After a supposed mishap on an icy pond with Henry's sister Connie (Quinn Culkin), Mark tries to reveal Henry's crimes before it's too late.

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Critics Consensus

The Good Son is never good enough to live up to its unsettling potential, failing to drum up much suspense and unable to make Macaulay Culkin a credible psychopath.

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Brian Lowry

Variety

07/25/2007

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

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

07/25/2007

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.

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Derek Adams

Time Out

02/09/2006

A summer camp classic.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

08/10/2022

2/4

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

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Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

06/06/2018

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.

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Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

09/29/2017

3/5

Creepy '90s thriller about murderous kid has violence.

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Astral Spore T

@Ineffable 5d

Ignore the critics. This was a good movie

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Steven F.

@SteveGotScored Feb 11

One of the most underrated thrillers of all time!

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TheMovieSearch R

@TheMovieSearch Jan 3

The Good Son is an okay but ultimately forgettable film that benefits most from its casting. Pairing Macaulay Culkin with Elijah Wood was a smart move at the time, especially coming off Culkin’s massive success in Home Alone. Seeing him play against type as a violent, manipulative child was effective and remains the film’s most memorable element. The acting overall is solid, and there’s clear effort put into character development and tone. However, the screenplay never fully comes together. Something feels missing, as if the story is never quite as connected or impactful as it wants to be. The plot moves along, but it lacks the emotional or narrative punch needed to leave a lasting impression. That’s the film’s biggest issue: it’s not bad, just extremely easy to forget. You watch it, acknowledge it as decent, and then it fades from memory shortly after. While it’s often highlighted within the horror community, it doesn’t quite earn that lasting recognition.

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Joy B.

@9mr_0 Dec 29

فلم جيد و قصة جيده نسبيا اخراج و تصوير جيد

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Adam P

@RT57083467 Dec 26

Excellent film. Culkin plays the role perfectly. Highly underrated. Absolute Must-See!

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Melissa L

@Agent99 Oct 5

Some people are definitely evil. Macaulay Culkin plays an evil son in this movie, and a good son in "Home Alone." He's a very talented actor, because in this film he personifies evil very well. I recommend it

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Joseph Ruben

Director

Macaulay Culkin

Henry Evans

Elijah Wood

Mark Evans

Wendy Crewson

Susan Evans

David Morse

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The Good Son: Trailer 1

2:09

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Synopsis

Mark (Elijah Wood), a young boy who loses his mother, must stay with his extended family while his father is away on business. Mark becomes acquainted with his cousin Henry (Macaulay Culkin). However, the extent of Henry's depravity becomes clear when Mark sees him kill a neighbor's dog and intentionally create a traffic pileup on the highway. After a supposed mishap on an icy pond with Henry's sister Connie (Quinn Culkin), Mark tries to reveal Henry's crimes before it's too late.

Director: Joseph Ruben
Producer: Joseph Ruben, Mary Ann Page
Screenwriter: Ian McEwan
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 24, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $44.4M
Runtime: 1h 27m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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