Review – The Book of Henry

Out of the 80+ movies I have seen so far in 2017, The Book of Henry is easily one of the weirdest.  What starts off as a quirky family dramedy takes a hard left turn into dark drama and then does a backflip into coming of age thriller.  It is truly a roller coaster of emotions.

It’s really hard to describe this movie without giving some major spoilers for the movie.  Henry (Jaeden Lieberher) is an incredibly gifted child.  He’s smarter than everyone in his school, yet has some issues socializing with other kids.  At home, Henry is the real parent in the house, as he takes care of the finances and takes care of his little brother Peter (Jacob Tremblay) while his mother Susan (Naomi Watts) works part time at diner and spends most of her nights playing video games.  When Henry suspects his neighbor Christina (Maddie Ziegler) is being abused by her stepfather Glenn (Dean Norris), he tries to get the authorities involved with no result.  He then takes matters into his own hands, which kicks off a series of bizarre events.

The events that take place when Henry takes matters into his own hands are wild, unpredictable, and emotional.  The first third of the film focuses on the family and it is genuinely enjoyable.  We see how the family bonds in their own unique way while also dealing with the troubles of life.  My mindset for what I thought this movie was going to be had solidified.

I was wrong though.  The second third of the movie is incredibly dramatic and depressing.  I cannot tell you the events that happen without spoiling some major events, but you won’t predict it at all.  The emotional shift in the movie is the equivalent of anticipating getting pie thrown in your face, but actually being hit in the stomach with a baseball bat.

And then, when you think you are going to get hit in the stomach with the baseball bat again, the third act comes and it’s like a car full of clowns running into the room and juggling.  It’s not nearly as fun as a bunch of clowns juggling, but, when expecting a baseball bat to the gut and you see a bunch of clowns juggling, the reaction is about the same as how I felt watching this third act: I have no idea how we got to this place, but I’m okay with it.  The movie turns into this coming of age thriller that, surprisingly, is rather intense and full of heart.

The constant that makes this movie work in the ways that it does is Naomi Watts.  Watts is a gem in everything she is in, and here is no different.  To say she expresses a full range of emotion in this movie is an understatement.  She’s funny, sad, annoying, kind, and overall moving and that is a testament to Watts as an actress.  Not many actresses could pull off this balancing act, but Watts does and does so brilliantly.  Lieberher and Tremblay are both great as well.  You really feel their bond as brothers and it brings a lot of the films emotion.  Both of these actors have bright, exciting careers ahead of them.

You won’t see too many movies like The Book of Henry.  It is an emotional roller coaster that will have you scratching your head as to what in the blue hell is happening all while being captivated by the emotion and performances.

Did you see The Book of Henry?  What did you think?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter and Instagram, @kevflix, or on Facebook by searching Kevflix.