Boy Kills World stars Bill Skarsgård in a Film that seems to taking the action style of the John Wick series to some truly ridiculous places. The directorial debut of Moritz Mohr, Boy Kills World is a colorful and bloody showcase of Skarsgård’s action chops. Like John Wick before him, the titular Boy seems capable of turning the entire world into his weapon, with the trailer for the film highlighting some truly over-the-top action set-pieces pitting the actor against soldiers, axe-wielding killers, and cereal mascots.

Boy Kills World looks like an absolute blast that embraces a focus on style over substance, which can benefit the action genre at times. However, it’s entering a crowded year at the box office, with plenty of other big action films on the horizon that could detract from its success. Despite this, the uniquely gonzo energy present in Boy Kills World’s trailer and Skarsgård’s performance might help it stand out. Boy Kills World might be the weirdest and wildest action film of 2024, and could end up taking over the hole left by the John Wick franchise.

Boy Kills World focuses on Boy, played by a ripped Bill Skarsgård. When his family is slaughtered by a family of wealthy elites, Boy escapes into the jungle and trains to eventually enact his revenge. Returning to the city as a grown man after being trained by a shaman (Yayan Ruhian), Boy sets out to get his revenge on Hilda van der Koy (Famke Janssen) and the rest of her family. On paper, this could be a traditional revenge flick with dashes of The Hunger Games thrown in thanks to the Culling, a high society-backed slaughter televised as entertainment.

In execution, it looks to be something very different. The film’s trailer highlights how the film plays the action concept for bombastic laughs, with plenty of bizarre comedy and slapstick beats. The film embraces a level of absurdity with a vibrant color scheme. While he may be deaf and mute, Boy’s internal thoughts are voiced by H. Jon Benjamin, granting the gruesome and gory beats a sense of self-aware comedy. Boy Kills World promises to have plenty of exciting action, but the broad comedy included in the film suggests this could be a truly wild ride.

Boy Kills World Flips Bill Skarsgård’s John Wick 4 Role

This isn’t Bill Skarsgård’s first foray into the world of action films. Skarsgård was part of the cast of John Wick: Chapter 4 as the Marquis Vincent de Gramont in John Wick: Chapter 4. As a representative of the High Table, the Marquis sought to eliminate John Wick and remove any doubt about the authority of the organization. Portrayed as a high society killer with little concern for the lives of others, the Marquis is almost the exact opposite of the Boy in Boy Kills World, a targeted victim of the kind of society featured in the John Wick franchise and Boy Kills World.

In Boy Kills World, Skarsgård’s character is one of the many people whose wolds were wrecked by the upper crust of society. A victim of the powerful elite instead of serving as one of them, the Boy seeks revenge on the system that broke his world. This is a similar motivation to John Wick, who turned against the High Table due to their extensive efforts to kill him and destroy anyone who had been willing to help him. The Boy’s revenge crusade seems to be an adaptable ballet of violence and carnage, similar to the well-choreographed exploits of John Wick.

Will Boy Kills World Be A Success?

Boy Kills World looks like a fun and bizarre action flick, with plenty of dark comedy and boisterous performances. Early reviews suggest it’s an engaging and fun watch. The film’s colorful and gory approach to action tropes will inevitably make it a favorite for fans of the genre. However, the biggest challenge to the film pulling in the kind of success that defined the John Wick franchise might be from external sources. Premiering in theaters in April, Boy Kills World will be going up against other films taking cues from John Wick like Dev Patel’s highly anticipated Monkey Man.

Monkey Man follows a similar narrative thread of a man seeking vengeance against high society for crimes committed against their loved ones. Both films boast major creative forces as Executive Producers, with Jordan Peele and Sam Raimi involved on Monkey Man and Boy Kills World respectively. However, there’s a chance Monkey Man and Boy Kills World could benefit each other. While they both scratch that same stylized action itch, their separate approaches open the possibility that Boy Kills World can still succeed even following other big action films.