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Boy A

Boy A

Crime · Drama · 2008

Freed after a lengthy term in a juvenile detention center, convicted child killer Jack Burridge finds work as a deliveryman and begins dating co-worker Michelle. While out on the road one day, Jack notices a distressed child, and, after reuniting the girl with her family, becomes a local celebrity. But when a local newspaper unearths his past, Jack must cope with the anger of citizens who fear for the safety of their children.

Movie details

Boy A

“Who decides who gets a second chance?”

2008 Crime · Drama 1h 46m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

Freed after a lengthy term in a juvenile detention center, convicted child killer Jack Burridge finds work as a deliveryman and begins dating co-worker Michelle. While out on the road one day, Jack notices a distressed child, and, after reuniting the girl with her family, becomes a local celebrity. But when a local newspaper unearths his past, Jack must cope with the anger of citizens who fear for the safety of their children.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Boy A?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Crowley

Written by

Mark O'Rowe

Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield

Jack Burridge

Katie Lyons

Katie Lyons

Michelle

Peter Mullan

Peter Mullan

Terry

Shaun Evans

Shaun Evans

Chris

Siobhan Finneran

Siobhan Finneran

Kelly

A

Alfie Owen

Eric Wilson

J

James Young

Zeb

Court is in session

Put Boy A on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.