The Good Son (1993)

The Good Son is the kind of slick, unnerving thriller that gets under your skin because it weaponizes something we’re trained to trust: childhood innocence. Set against the crisp, postcard beauty of coastal Maine, Joseph Ruben builds dread with polished craft and nerve-tight set pieces, letting small moments curdle into genuine suspense as the adults remain just a step behind what the kids are really doing. Macaulay Culkin’s against-type turn is the hook, but Elijah Wood gives the film its bruised, human center, making the tension feel personal rather than gimmicky. It’s not for everyone—violence involving children and a few upsetting incidents can be a hard line—but if you want a mainstream ’90s thriller with a chilling vibe and a climax that lands with real impact, this one delivers.

The Good Son is clearly aiming for a provocative “what if evil lived in a child’s face” thriller, using grief and family trust as the pressure points. The problem is the movie often settles for nasty set pieces and obvious manipulation rather than building real suspense, so it can feel more unpleasant than genuinely tense. Macaulay Culkin’s against-type casting is the whole hook, but if you don’t buy his menace (or find it unintentionally comic), the story turns one-note fast and the tension collapses. Still, Elijah Wood gives the film a grounded emotional center, and if you’re in the mood for a dark 90s morality shocker with moderate violence and a mean streak, it may scratch that itch—just don’t expect a subtle psychological thriller.