San Francisco IndieFest 2025 Coverage
Dirty Boy review
A schizophrenic man walks into a cult…
Festival reviews will not contain spoilers.
Dirty Boy
Directed by Doug Rao
Written by Doug Rao
Starring Stan Steinbichler, Graham McTavish, Susie Porter, Olicia Chenery, Katharina Scheuba, Alice Lucy and Ruaridh Aldington
Dirty Boy Review
Dirty Boy isn’t really a religious horror movie…it just feels like one. It’s one of a few clever aspects that make it something to look out for. Religious horror movies tend to follow a similar pattern. Faith is tested…demons are real…you’ve known the drill since at least 1973. Dirty Boy isn’t trapped by those tropes because it isn’t about a religion…it’s about a cult. A cult that feels very much like a strict religious order. I’ll give you a moment to make the observation about all organized religions that I’m trying very hard to avoid making here. Now…about this cult.
Isaac (Stan Steinbichler) is a young member of this obvious cult. They live an old timey life. The kind with expectations that young women will reproduce early and often. Isaac isn’t just any member, however…he appears to be a schizophrenic. When he uncovers several devastating secrets about the cult…and himself…Dirty Boy turns into something very different than it had been before.
The movie finds incredibly creative ways to portray Isaac’s ailment. He talks to himself (a literal second version of himself), has a narrator relaying his thoughts…all adding up to a fascinating energy when Isaac is struggling the most. These aspects added to his character are Dirty Boy’s next clever trick. They create a dynamic character in a story that is purposely slow to reveal itself…for a time.
We’ll obviously be avoiding spoilers in this review…but the third act of Dirty Boy is a real treat. Isaac is pressed into action that we have no understanding of his capability of doing. He uncovers truly horrific things…and he’s done listening to anyone about anything. Dirty Boy morphs into a darkly humorous revenge thriller. That energy that surrounded Isaac’s character is unleashed on the picture in totality. It’s a lot of fun.
Despite having the look of a movie that takes place at the turn of some much older century…there is a modernity to Dirty Boy. Actually, you might even call it futuristic. Technology exists in this world that seems advanced for modern times…and it isn’t hidden away. It’s used to tell the story…fill in background…and move things forward. The juxtaposition of lives lived in a way that feel centuries old with technology that seems around the corner creates a memorable backdrop for Dirty Boy’s quasi-religious drama. It fits like a glove when it turns into a bleak comedy full of vengeance.
The cast is uniformly excellent in Dirty Boy. Steinbichler tackles a difficult role and delivers a memorable and exciting performance. The always strong Graham McTavish lends credibility and gravitas as the cult’s leader Walter Wentworth. The ensemble around them commits to the assignment and makes the world (and cult) of Dirty Boy feel, sadly, real. This is a lot of adhering to customs…with enough questions about how they will react to a changing narrative to make each move that much more interesting.
The story in Dirty Boy unfolds with chapter breaks. They don’t feel necessary, but they don’t take you out of the movie either. As mentioned, the story is slow to progress at first. Isaac doesn’t begin to discover his secrets until over halfway through the movie. By then Dirty Boy has established a consistent tone and believable world…both of which it will burn down in its exciting final act. I can’t say enough about the ending of Dirty Boy. It has one of the most entertaining climaxes around. Aided by a series of fine performances, a commitment to the world its created…and a joy taken in exposing and destroying it.
Scare Value
I’m not exactly sure at what point in the story Dirty Boy turned into a dark comedy…maybe it was one from the start. What I do know is that once that aspect of the film takes over it is an unexpectedly bleak riot. It does interesting things with its protagonist’s ailment…and doesn’t let the cult leaders go unpunished. One of the most satisfying climaxes you’ll find.
