Dirty Boy (2024) | Film Review

Raised in an oppressive cult, a reclusive schizophrenic discovers that he’s being framed by the cult leaders for a series of ritualistic murders and must prove his innocence by saving their next victim and destroying the evil sect from within.

Dirty Boy (2024, Rao) follows a schizophrenic youth, indoctrinated into a religious cult, told directly from their perspective. The film takes place at some point in the future(?), in an isolated region, somewhere in the world(?). I describe this with as much information afforded by the film, as establishing locale, or generality is completely absent. In a time-absent setting resembling M Night's The Village (2004), the absence of modern comforts, yet the existence of futuristic recording / communication devices left more questions than answers.

The film does attempt to explore some interesting concepts and ideas, specifically; telling the story from an unreliable narrators perspective, Isaac (Stan Steinbichler) - although this becomes difficult to follow through the course of the film - as well as, exploring the internal dynamics of a religious; evangelical christian styled, cult and psychological examination of ones own 'host' identify.

Sadly, that is where the intrigue ends, as none of these themes are fully developed passed a surface level plot device and / or illusion of conflict.

Dirty Boy (2024) | Film Review

Without an ounce of dread, or threat, the film trudges along from scene-to-scene, accompanied by pseudo-intellectual narration - that borderlines pretentious nonsense - adding further confusion into a mix with somewhat incoherent virtuality when encountering Isaac's fictional counterpart, Frankie. Certain actions undertaken by many of the characters are questionable, as well as there being glaring missing resolutions to some of the films more compelling plot points / details.

The cast are decent, from Steinbichler, to McTavish. To their credit, the cast manage to keep composure in some cringe-worthy scenes and delivery of equally less-than average dialogue.

The real positive for the film, is the stunning cinematography. Shot like many films within the folk-horror subgenre, the sweeping shots across picturesque landscapes and particular focus on dark corners and sharp edges of interiors made for satisfying viewing. I would have wished for a more folk-horror grounding overall, especially with the potential to explore both a cult and mental instability with this aesthetic.

It would be apt to mention, that the synopsis provided on IMDB is somewhat misleading, as it relates to the latter portion of the film (approximately 75 minutes into a 98 minute runtime). For the first 75 minutes, we're lead on - what feels like - a never-ending clash between our protagonist(?) and the leaders of the cult.

The film as a whole is devoid of urgency and suffers from a considerable lack of tension. As much as I love slow-burn films that explore existential, religious or philosophical ideologies, these tend to have a glow of intrigue before delivering an impactful ending. This felt more akin to a wet match, than even a dimly lit tea-candle.

Dirty Boy is out on digital now, trailer below.