Trigger Warning for Implications of Sexual Assault
After coming across a group of criminals while they attack his friend Lucy, a teenager named Tom develops powers due to fragments of his smartphone that are lodged in his brain after an attack. Using these powers he seeks revenge on these criminals and others like them. And so Netflix’s iBoy presents an interesting concept that might be a little too goofy and problematic if the trailer is any indication.
Starring Bill Milner as Tom and Maisie Williams as his friend Lucy, iBoy is an adaptation of a 2010 book written by Kevin Brooks. Tom’s powers seem understandably technologically based. He hears phone conversations at a distance, sees code (or something) floating above electronic devices, and apparently develops the ability to control it all. Or at least blow it up. Pretty useful powers, without a doubt. It certainly looks cool enough. Kind of a shame the trailer appears to give away 75% of the movie. Fair warning to those of you who hate that and want to go into the movie unspoiled.
Unfortunately, basing his motivation in the (presumed) sexual assault presents all kinds of potential issues. Here’s hoping Maisie Williams gets her own interesting story, rather than be reduced to the motivation for the main character’s vigilantism and eventual damsel in distress. She certainly deserves better than that. Whatever you think of Game of Thrones, Williams is a very promising young actress who deserves better than the forgotten victim serving the main character’s pain and revenge. And I’d be lying if the movie didn’t look a little wonky in general.
Set to release on Netflix on January 27 is directed by Adam Randall and also stars Miranda Richardson and Roy Kinnear.
