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%

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62 Reviews

62%

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)

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

Jul 31, 2021

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John Anderson

Wall Street Journal

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.

Jul 30, 2021

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Elisabeth Vincentelli

New York Times

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

Jul 29, 2021

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Jordy Sirkin

Jordy Reviews It

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

Feb 22, 2023

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Andy Lea

Daily Express (UK)

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

Rated: 4/5

May 2, 2022

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Abbie Bernstein

Assignment X

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

Rated: B+

Mar 15, 2022

Full Review

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Movie A

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.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/07/25

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Mike Y.

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 🙄

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/04/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Meant to be scary in 1 hour and 28 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/02/25

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Anthony M

Not bad but really, no great shakes either. The ending, given the theme, is predictable enough. Which is why it probably won't linger in the memory.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/06/25

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Andrew S

What happens when the good guy and the monster die relatively early in the story? Well… This is an edge of your seat experience. The monster has a MAGA bumper sticker, which I liked. The evil orchestrator was a white woman with zero compassion, which I also liked. Subtext, though sparse, lands well. Unfortunately, no one in this story was allowed a shred of personality. One of the most tense movies I’ve seen this year, but also one of the driest.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/25/24

Full Review

Kevin H

Clearly the directors think the audience is stupid.. from turning a clearly male 2nd antagonist into a small woman to insinuating that the murderers are part of the MAGA movement. The “twists” were, in fact, this movies downfall; without them this movie would have been elevated to the level of any B+ kidnapping thriller. So incredibly disappointing.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/03/24

Full Review

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David Charbonier

Director

Justin Powell

Director

Lonnie Chavis

Bobby

Ezra Dewey

Kevin

Kristin Bauer

Ms. Burton

Scott Michael Foster

Officer Steward

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67%

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28%

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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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