Stephen Graham, already renowned for his powerful performances in films likeAdolescenceandA Thousand Blows, is poised to deliver a truly unsettling turn in the upcoming thriller,The Good Boy. The film, starring alongside Anson Boon and Andrea Riseborough, is finally arriving in UK cinemas, promising a descent into psychological darkness.
The premise is chillingly simple, yet profoundly disturbing. A volatile nineteen-year-old, lost in a haze of drugs and reckless behavior, finds himself abducted and imprisoned in the basement of a remote Yorkshire house. His captors? A seemingly ordinary couple with an extraordinary and deeply unsettling plan to instill “family values.”
But the story isn’t a straightforward tale of captivity. As the young man begins to adapt to his confinement, a disturbing question arises: is he genuinely reforming, or is he expertly manipulating those who hold him prisoner? The film’s initial screening at the London Film Festival left audiences captivated and unnerved, with the official synopsis declaring it “needs to be seen to be believed.”
Early critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with the film currently boasting a 94% score on review aggregator platforms. Critics have lauded the performances as “doggone exceptional,” drawing comparisons to the uniquely unsettling work of director Yorgos Lanthimos.
Reviews describeThe Good Boyas “tonally unique” and “relentlessly bleak ‘fun’,” a twisted narrative that challenges expectations at every turn. One critic called it a “wickedly strange, psychologically rich fairy tale,” while another simply described it as “messed up.”
The film’s unsettling power lies in its ability to blur the lines between victim and manipulator, forcing audiences to confront uncomfortable questions about morality, control, and the very nature of redemption.The Good Boyarrives in UK cinemas on March 20, 2026.
