Boarding School

Boarding School is a 2018 horror movie intricately woven with the themes of mystery, phobia, and psychological disturbance. The film features an ensemble cast, including Luke Prael in the lead role, with strong supporting performances by Samantha Mathis and David Aaron Baker. Directed and written by Boaz Yakin, the movie fittingly captures tension and intrigue within the confines of an eerie boarding school setting.

In the movie, Luke Prael portrays a 12-year-old boy named Jacob Felsen. Jacob is a character with a unique persona; he stands out because of his fascinatingly vintage sense of style and his peculiar fondness for his late grandmother. An unusual fact about him is that his grandma's death does not deter his attachment towards her. Instead, it amplifies his sense of curiosity pushing him into an eerie world full of mysteries. This protagonist's life takes a peculiar turn when his parents, portrayed by Samantha Mathis and David Aaron Baker, decide to send him to a secluded boarding school far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Away from the comfort of his home and thrown into an ominous world masked as a boarding school, Jacob Felsen finds himself amidst six other students. Each student displayed their unique quirk, representing various backgrounds and eccentric personalities, all chosen and handpicked due to their unique and often troubling behavior. Aside from the students, the school comprises a headmaster and his wife, who foster a tense aura. The headmaster is depicted as an intimidating figure, who is firm in his task to discipline their group of unusual students.

The thematic crux of the movie lies in the suspense tied with the enigmatic boarding school. Its isolated location, far from civilization, enhances the horror elements embedded in the narrative. The old structure is designed with gothic-inspired architecture, filled with dark corners, steep staircases, and chiming bells that disturb the ominous silence at unpredictable intervals. The environment couldn't be spookier, thereby setting up the requisite platform for the plot to unfurl its creepy threads.

Along with the mysterious environment and the strange group of students who Jacob will now call his peers, the story unfolds slowly, revealing various details about the patrons of the school and a dark secret it holds. The characters installed in the narrative of Boarding School, keep us precisely occupied with each strand of their eccentric personalities, revealing precise aspects at the right times in incremental doses.

The use of psychological drama and horror tropes are no strangers to Boaz Yakin's directorial approach. However, with Boarding School, he adds an extra layer to his storytelling, enhancing its depth due to its association with a child. Consequently, the movie has moments that challenge Jacob mentally and emotionally. A despotic authority, fear of an unexplored environment, shrouded senior occupants, and fellow students – all are perfectly pitched to arouse the young boy's anxieties and create dilemmas that he must navigate.

The actors, especially Luke Prael, execute their parts efficiently, enhancing their characters' complex natures. The movie utilizes its cast very well, allowing each character to have a narrative importance and development throughout its screen time. Samantha Mathis as Jacob's mother and David Aaron Baker as his stepfather, representing modern parental figures, convincingly depict strained relations and anxieties related to their child's wellness and future.

Boarding School does a commendable job in molding the different pieces of its narrative puzzle into the larger image. The movie is filled with a sense of fear and mystery that keeps the audience engaged while effectively interspersing moments of dread and horror throughout its runtime. The cinematography and the sound design deserve a special mention in enhancing the menacing aura of the film.

Overall, Boarding School offers an intriguing mix of mystery, psychological drama, and horror. It takes the viewer on a macabre journey through a neglected corner of the education system and explores various aspects of human psychology through its characters and settings. It is a film that thrives on its atmosphere and a growing sense of dread that culminates in a climactic finale that doesn't disappoint.