‘An Angry Boy’ Review: A Necessary And Brutal Piece of Rape Revenge
Contemporary rape-revenge cinema has been moving in a progressive, and often subversive, direction arguably since the release of Coralie Fargeat’s 2017 Revenge. Often helmed by women, modern rape-revenge films are about reclaiming agency and depicting the harrowing realities of sexual assault rather than catering to the male gaze. But often missing is the portrayal of male victims; where do they fit in this new chapter of a cult subgenre? Writer and director Andrew Fitzgerald has an idea with his feature film debut An Angry Boy, a bold new take on rape-revenge fantasies accomplished on a shoestring budget.
Owen (Scott Callenberger) is a teenage boy spending his summer cleaning gum off desks at the local high school with his best friend Ricky (Caleb Lowery). One day, an act of vigilante justice goes viral and he catches the eye of the cult he escaped from when he was a child. They violently reappear in his life, sending him into a revenge-fueled spiral that reveals harrowing secrets from his past.
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Now, as you can probably tell from my introduction, this film deals with the very real subject of child sexual abuse. I typically don’t like to spoil a film’s reveal, but in the case of a film like An Angry Boy, I believe it’s important for the viewer to understand what they’re getting into. But while this is a film dealing with disturbing issues, it’s also telling a crucial story about male survivors of sexual assault and the reality of pedophilia, specifically within the United States. Fitzgerald does an admirable job of balancing honesty about the topic with bloody sequences of revenge. It’s never preachy but never exploitative, either. The script impressively walks a very fine line between entertaining and upsetting.
Carrying the weight of telling this story is newcomer Scott Callenberger who delivers an explosive performance as Owen. Callenberge makes Owen relatable yet a little terrifying, embodying quiet rage until he’s pushed over the edge. As a character, Owen could so easily become a parody of a man seeking revenge, especially as men are not often—if ever—seen in roles like this. But Callenberger and Fitzgerald are careful to make Owen more nuanced, complicated, and interesting.
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Lowery is a great foil to Callenberger as the best friend who never wavers in his support of Owen, even when things get violent. While Ricky is the best friend character, he is crucial to Owen’s journey and illustrates the importance of found family as a support system in the face of trauma. Plus, he provides a bit of levity needed in such a heavy film.
Not every performance in An Angry Boy is as strong as the duo’s, which does affect the film’s tone, particularly in the beginning (though Eric Roberts’ cameo is particularly disturbing). Parts of the film’s first act feel a bit like a Lifetime movie, but that quickly gives way to a disturbing story about child sexual abuse. Thankfully the film never falls into melodrama, particularly regarding the serious subject matter. Fitzgerald never lets the limitations of his budget affect the story he’s trying to tell, especially as the story becomes Callenberger and Lowery’s.
An Angry Boy is another shining example of microbudget genre filmmaking at its finest. It may be rough around the edges, but at its core, this is a crucial film about a never-discussed issue handled with grace by Fitzgerald. Proceed with caution, but definitely don’t miss it.
Summary
An Angry Boy is a bold new take on rape-revenge fantasies accomplished on a shoestring budget.
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