Tim Burtonesque's portrayal of suburbia, filled with quirky characters and pastel colors, signals a very different kind of horror movie in The Loneliest Boy in the World. A freak accident further isolates shy and lonely Oliver, sparking a desperate search for friendship. He finds it in death, creating a sweet coming-of-age fairy tale along the lines of the 2006 zombie comedy Fido.
Oliver lives a lonely life in the suburbs with his mother. He never ventures out of the house much, finding company through her and her beloved sitcom Alf. That changes when a wild chain of events leaves Mom dead, impaled on a lawn gnome, and Oliver at the mercy of a social worker, Margot (Ashley Benson). The social worker is concerned about Oliver's isolation and mental well-being, giving him a finite window to find friends before she intervenes. He takes her words to heart and digs up the newly buried, bringing home a makeshift family of corpses. Overnight, his dead and decaying family come to life and help him learn to live.
Director: Martin Owen
Writer: Piers Ashworth
Stars: Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Ashley Benson, Ben Miller
The loss of a loved one is one of the most challenging experiences a person can go through. The pain of grief can be overwhelming and overwhelming. Faced with this pain, it is not surprising that many people strongly desire to bring their loved ones back to life. Oliver does just this in the movie The Loneliest Boy in the World.
The Tim Burton-esque depiction of suburbia in The Loneliest Boy in the World signals a different kind of horror movie than we're used to. A freak accident further isolates shy and lonely Oliver, sparking a desperate search for friendship. Unfortunately, he ends up meeting him in death, which makes for a heartwarming coming-of-age story that's similar to 2006's Fido.
Director Martin Owen, working from a script by Piers Ashworth, infuses Oliver's story with a fairy-tale feel. The '50s collide with the '80s, obscuring the sense of time and place and giving an otherworldly feel. Enough subtle details convey a contemporary setting; Oliver sees the world through a pastel prism of sitcom wholesomeness. He is not only reflected in the candy-coated walls and furniture of his house, but also in the strange undead family unit that forms.
Susanne (Susan Wokoma) and Frank (Ben Miller) slip into the roles of doting 1950s parents, and young Mel (Zenobia Williams) suits the role of little sister. Mitch (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) plays the cool older brother with ease. Brief snippets reveal vastly different personalities before death, one more glimpse into the protective world of bubblegum that Oliver clings tightly to. Through wholesome banter and a series of reality-based roadblocks intensified by this zombie reality, Oliver develops real bonds that prepare him for life.
Quaint production design and vibrant hues imbue whimsy. Prosthetics and practical makeup help the undead family through the decaying jokes. It's with visual effects that the small, intimate story occasionally shows its rough edges; a CGI zombie dachshund can be distracting rather than elicit awe and giggles. Owen wisely keeps those moments mostly to a minimum.
Harwood is notable for maintaining a naive sense of sweetness and longing; an affable quality to his loneliness endears Oliver to the audience. You support him in finding his balance even in his most socially awkward moment. The subplot involving Margot and her accomplice is ineffective and feels more like fodder for humor later on.
The Loneliest Boy in the World tells a simple fairy tale, with plots that mostly unfold as expected. It's a simple yet charming story that uses the sitcom format to lampoon the nuclear family while offering the protagonist a chance for growth through escapism. The cute zombie comedy is a direct means of dealing with death.
Watch The Loneliest Boy in the World 2022
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