The Boy Behind the Door

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The Boy Behind the Door

2020

1h 28m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

62 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

In The Boy Behind the Door, a night of unimaginable terror awaits twelve-year-old Bobby (Lonnie Chavis) and his best friend, Kevin (Ezra Dewey), when they are abducted on their way home from school. Managing to escape his confines, Bobby navigates the dark halls, praying his presence goes unnoticed as he avoids his captor at every turn. Even worse is the arrival of another stranger, whose mysterious arrangement with the kidnapper may spell certain doom for Kevin. With no means of calling for help and miles of dark country in every direction, Bobby embarks on a rescue mission, determined to get himself and Kevin out alive... or die trying.

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Critics Consensus

A tense, terrifying, and all-around outstanding feature debut for its co-directing duo, The Boy Behind the Door should thrill discerning horror fans.

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Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (LAist)

07/31/2021

This is the most nerve-wracking small horror film that I have seen in a very, very long time.

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John Anderson

Wall Street Journal

07/30/2021

It's remarkable how much dreadful mileage Messrs. Powell and Charbonier get out of Kevin and Bobby's plight, far more than if the tween boys were simply threatened with death.

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Elisabeth Vincentelli

New York Times

07/29/2021

The movie does not transcend its virtuosic, almost abstractly taut storytelling.

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Jordy Sirkin

Jordy Reviews It

02/22/2023

An exhilarating experience that subverts expectations and only adds to the suspense as it veers further.

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Andy Lea

Daily Express (UK)

05/02/2022

4/5

The premise is queasy but, if you can stomach the opening half hour, this expertly crafted chiller should pin you to your sofa.

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Abbie Bernstein

Assignment X

03/15/2022

B+

Chavis and Dewey both give powerful, well-nuanced performances.

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alex D

@safadao13 Apr 20

A wild suspenseful ride

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Sammie R.

@Sirsam Feb 21

Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb

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Dave C

@RT09838700 Nov 5

There are some moments of genuine tension and fear, but unfortunately the characters are all close to one-dimensional, so the feelings of terror are short-lived. Ultimately, this brings nothing that's not been played out a number of times in kidnap-horror movies with better direction and more complete characters. I'd be interested to know if the Directors' future projects yield better results, mind you

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Brooke R.

@BrookiieCookiee Oct 22

Amazing, deserves far more praise than that stupid Black Phone movie

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Movie A

@merrin Sep 7

I watched this movie on Shudder. I truly don’t know what movie the critics or the audience was watching. But apparently the directors were trying to set the record for stupid decisions by characters in a movie. The movie had no suspense, it was predictable, stole lines from far better movies (example: “the worst thing that could have happened to [you] has already happened”. The makers of “The Descent” should sue), and was generally insulting to the audience. I often wonder if audience or critic reviews are bought and paid for. This movie didn’t dissuade me from that belief. Avoid this waste of time like the plague.

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Mike Y.

@dabbadoo 08/04/2025

Asian boy friends with black boy vs evil white person with a MAGA bumper sticker, just make a movie and keep politics out of it 🙄

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David Charbonier

Director

Justin Powell

Director

Lonnie Chavis

Bobby

Ezra Dewey

Kevin

Kristin Bauer

Ms. Burton

Scott Michael Foster

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Synopsis

In The Boy Behind the Door, a night of unimaginable terror awaits twelve-year-old Bobby (Lonnie Chavis) and his best friend, Kevin (Ezra Dewey), when they are abducted on their way home from school. Managing to escape his confines, Bobby navigates the dark halls, praying his presence goes unnoticed as he avoids his captor at every turn. Even worse is the arrival of another stranger, whose mysterious arrangement with the kidnapper may spell certain doom for Kevin. With no means of calling for help and miles of dark country in every direction, Bobby embarks on a rescue mission, determined to get himself and Kevin out alive... or die trying.

Director: David Charbonier, Justin Powell
Producer: Ryan Lewis, John Hermann, Jim Hart, Ryan Scaringe, Rick Rosenthal
Screenwriter: David Charbonier, Justin Powell
Production Co: Whitewater Films, Kinogo Pictures
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 29, 2021
Runtime: 1h 28m

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