Young actors carve dark, suspenseful path
The Book of Henry
K (out of 4) Starring Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher. Directed by Colin Trevorrow. Opens Friday at GTA theatres. 115 minutes. PG
If you’re looking for a sweet, lifeaffirming family drama involving a single mother struggling to raise her two sons, The Book of Henry is probably not for you.
It’s a darker, far less conventional story with a few plot turns that confound expectations. It’s also well-acted, suspenseful and ultimately satisfying.
Henry is an11-year-old prodigy — he prefers the term “precocious” — with the kind of intellect and imagination that allows him to conceptualize in complex ways and make detailed plans “covering every contingency.” In fact, he’s so good at organizing the household finances that the line between parent and child has become rather blurred.
Henry knows something is very wrong with Christina, the girl next door, and it involves the stern stepfather who is raising her alone, a senior police official who’s well-connected in the community.
Henry turns his genius to the problem, but when he is unable to take action, it is left to his mother, Susan (Naomi Watts). He leaves her a book detailing a plan to take out the despicable Glenn Sickleman permanently.
You probably didn’t see that coming, did you?
What follows is a breathtaking, high-tension caper that directly challenges our basic moral precepts.
Director Colin Trevorrow has assembled a particularly strong cast, starting with Jaeden Lieberher, who is engaging and wholly believable as the gifted Henry.
Watts is also wonderful as a woman struggling mightily with the challenge ahead of her as well as her conscience. Young Canadian actor Jacob Tremblay, whose breakout performance in Room (2015) drew critical praises, makes the most of his role as younger brother Peter.
Dean Norris is aptly despicable as the nasty stepfather, but it’s Maddie Ziegler as Christina who transforms a role with little dialogue into one of heartbreaking perfection with subtle physicality.
Trevorrow does a fine takes a fine job of navigating a story which alternates in tone from comic and sweet to moody and suspenseful. He cleverly uses a tap-dancing number during a kids’ talent show to stock the tension to fever pitch.
The outcome, like so much of the story, is both unexpected and rewarding.