With a painted poster reminiscent of ’80s adventures, The Book of Henry would seem to be Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow’s second Spielberg-inspired film—perhaps a slightly more syrupy spin on E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Well, that’s why you don’t judge a Book of Henry by its cover, because as laid out in this trailer, this thing is actually something far, far more insane.
Jaeden Lieberher (just seen leading the It trailer) stars as Henry, a boy of almost supernatural precociousness. He’s goodhearted, mature far beyond his years, and possesses a genius intellect that’s made him his home’s financial planner and de facto head-of-household. His single mother (Naomi Watts) seems to relish taking a gross, subservient wife role to him, deferring to him on choices like getting direct deposit or, as it turns out, HOMICIDE.
See, Henry’s neighbor and classmate next door is, it’s heavily implied, being sexually abused by her step-father (Dean Norris). Henry and his mother can’t take it to the police, though, because the step-father is also the police commissioner. So, this gifted little 12-year-old instead devises an elaborate plan for Mom to murder the guy by way of a sniper rifle and a Rube Goldberg machine. (Maybe they’re hoping to frame Pee-wee Herman?)
It’s a bizarre cocktail mixing elements from Pay It Forward, Little Man Tate, Forrest Gump, Home Alone, and Enough. But is the result terribly misguided, or an intriguing subversion of a typically cloying sub-genre? And will this thing make more or less sense if it also tosses in the husband-reincarnated-in-a-boy twist from Birth? We’ll find out June 16.
