We are spoilt when it comes to superhero films, it’s a genre that keeps on pushing film after film, and each one isn’t that distinguishable from the last. Often there is no social commentary we can linger on, although, maybe Thanos is the exception of late. Good typically is good and bad is bad. The Boys shows us that public perception and reality are not always hand in hand. In The Boys, the world is full of “supes,” a somewhat derogatory shorthand for superheroes. The ones at the forefront are essentially the Justice League; from Superman to the Flash. They are the product of a company that is utilizing their powers to endorse everything from movies to books and more. The company is also trying to rent them into the army. However, the more we learn about these superheroes behind closed doors, the more we see these men and women are morally unhinged. That’s where the boys come in.
The boys are a team of mismatched personalities working towards exposing the supes because each of them has a vendetta against them. You would think the series would be told more from the point of view of the boys, but it’s equally split between the supes. The biggest star of the series is Karl Urban (Star Trek, Dredd) who plays Billy Butcher, the leader of the boys. Butcher’s story is the throughline of the entire series, and the twists and turns they take are surprising, to say the least. There’s a lot throughout the show that will make you feel surprised, and uncomfortable much like a show on HBO. But the awes and uhs just have you more excited to see where the story goes next.
The Boys is an Amazon exclusive show and a great ballsy choice to their original line-up. The series is based on the comic book series by the same name created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The television series has been created by Eric Kripke, who also created Supernatural. I’m actually glad he packed it in after the first five seasons of Supernatural, otherwise, he’d still be on that show as they shoot their FIFTEENTH season. The casting for this show is surprisingly good. I buy each of them living in this very gritty world. Also, the costumes look superb. This show has something very special to it, and I’m excited to see where the show goes in the second season after this excellent first season.
The Boys is the counter-programming we need from everything superhero! The show is deeper than it should be given the subject matter, and hopefully, it opens us up to more avenues within the superhero genre like Kick-Ass and Watchmen did before it.
Robert Ring
KissTheMovies 