Movie Review: “An Angry Boy” – An Evocative Portrayal of Trauma and Vengeance.

“An Angry Boy,” written and directed by Andrew Fitzgerald, tells the gripping and emotionally charged story of Owen Marshall, a young man whose life is marred by his traumatic past involving a sadistic cult.

Scott Callenberger brings the character Owen to life in a haunting but captivating performance that makes this indie thriller stand out within its genre.

The movie opens on what appears to be a random incident at an ATM, where a woman is being robbed, Owen steps in to stop the robbery, an act of bravery and selfishness that is caught on camera and goes viral. Despite the sudden fame, Owen is indifferent to the attention, a reaction that hints at deeper, unresolved issues.

From the beginning, it is clear that Owen is a young man with significant emotional baggage. His suppressed memories of being kidnapped as a child by a sadistic cult have left him with a well of pent-up rage and a demeanour that makes him generally unlikable to those around him. Well except for his close friend Ricky (played by Caleb Lowery).

Scott Callenberger delivers a brilliant portrayal of the character Owen Marshall. It is almost as though the character was written with him in mind. He rightly captures the emotions of a young man torn apart emotionally, disenthralled, and alienated from the rest of the world. His facial expressions and body language show the depth of trauma and anger that have been inside him, which makes Owen a very relatable character despite being unlikeable. Callenberger‘s performance is strong enough yet subtly allowing viewers to see the layers of pain and confusion that lie beneath Owen’s tough facade.

Also brilliant is Caleb Lowery as Ricky, whose character comes across as the polar opposite of Owen. Their contrasting personalities and deep friendship become a central pillar of the story. What follows is a friendship tested by the violent events that unfold.

The title “An Angry Boy” may mislead one into thinking it is a naive story about some boy who is just angry at life for no apparent reason at all. However, as the narrative progresses, it becomes clear that Owen’s anger is deeply rooted in his horrific past.

Fitzgeralds‘ screenplay doesn’t glamorise or fixate so much on the cult. He keeps it simple and that works. By not overcomplicating the operations or going deep into the inner structure of the cult. The idea is that Andy (played by Eric Roberts) has this wild plan for his cult made up of young abducted boys and he has Mark (played by Thomas Cambridge) as his oldest and most committed disciple helping him with abducting the kids.

The film focuses more on Owen‘s internal struggle and the resurfacing of his traumatic memories to reveal hints and details about the cult.

The plot turns dark when Mark, tracks Owen down after the viral video. Mark invades their home but his attempt to murder Owen is foiled by Ricky. But not before he gruesomely murders Owen‘s mother Kathy (played by Laura Frenzer). With the memories of his kidnapping returning Owen decides he must hunt down Mark and find answers to all that he can’t seem to remember. But that doesn’t seem like an easy thing to do considering that Mark knows that he will be coming after him.

Another thing that works great for this film is its technical execution. The clever combination of special effects, makeup, and visual effects is so well done that scenes that require them are not unnecessarily gory. This balance ensures the film is not so graphic for viewers who just might not be able to handle scenes like that.

“An Angry Boy” is a film I went into with no expectations, yet it far surpassed them in each regard. For an indie project, the production values are pretty impressive, mainly standing on par with big studio releases. The visuals and sound design are all very well done. Also, it is impressive how it sets one tone and pretty much moves with it.

It is easy to recommend this film to anyone who likes a good indie thriller. It delivers an original story with solid performances, and well-thought direction, that makes this an enjoyable offbeat indie thriller. It’s an evocative portrayal of trauma, vengence, friendship, and the lasting repercussions of a chilling past.

Andrew Fitzgerald brought to life a film that can’t be forgotten after viewing. I will give this movie a score of 7/10.