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The Good Son

Play trailer 2:09 Poster for The Good Son R 1993 1h 27m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 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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The Good Son

The Good Son

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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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Critics Reviews

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Brian Lowry Variety 07/25/2007
This peculiar thriller doesn't deliver enough jolts to leave the audience screaming. Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
Derek Adams Time Out 02/09/2006
A summer camp classic. Go to Full Review
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 08/10/2022
2/4
...sporadically watchable yet mostly (and curiously) inert... Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media 09/29/2017
3/5
Creepy '90s thriller about murderous kid has violence. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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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 See more thiago s @Thiagostone Aug 15 Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom, e o final deu uma salvada no filme. See more Gina R @GinaG Jun 19 The Good Son has a handsome, scenic look that sustains interest, and a suspenseful ending that is quite literally gripping. See more Olivia J May 2 I always rewatch this whenever its on and always find something new in the story and performances See more Yannis M Apr 27 Underrated film with great performances all around See more Cecilia S Mar 21 under the radar film. absolutely love the psychosocial mind bend of this See more Read all reviews
The Good Son

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Movie Info

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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