Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Susan, a single mother of two, works as a waitress in a small town. Her son, Henry, is an 11-year-old genius who not only manages the family finances but acts as emotional support for his mother and younger brother. When Henry discovers that the girl next door has a terrible secret, he implores Susan to take matters into her own hands.
The Book of Henry is widely regarded as a narrative disaster — a tonally incoherent film that lurches from quirky family drama to terminal illness weeper to suburban assassination thriller. The plot is deeply implausible and ill-conceived, asking audiences to follow a dead child's instruction manual for murder, and the ending resolves nothing satisfyingly. Acting from Naomi Watts and Jaeden Martell is competent and occasionally affecting, lifting the material somewhat. Cinematography is pleasant but unremarkable. Novelty is low — the premise sounds distinctive on paper but is executed in a derivative, manipulative way that doesn't cohere into a genuine singular vision. The TMDB score here appears inflated relative to critical reception, which was near-universally scathing.