"Good Boy" main actors Stephen Graham and Anson Boon on society’s prison-like influence on youth, culture’s role in shaping identity, and on how classic art can inspire true rebellion
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"Good Boy", interview with actors Stephen Graham and Anson BoonGianluca De Angelis
During the 20th edition of the Rome Film Fest we spoke with Stephen Graham and Anson Boon, main actors of “Good Boy,” directed by Jan Komasa. The film offers a compelling reflection on the restrictive nature of modern society, seen through the eyes of a british rascal who gets trapped in a re-educational plan of a family who kidnap him and chain him down to obtain their purpose. The film, showcased here at the Rome Film Fest, delves into how societal expectations, on the educational system of today and on how digital culture can also act as an invisible prisons for today’s youth itself.
The interview
Actor of “Good Boy” Stephen Graham told us how he film critically examines the impact of social media, but also how nowadays there is an instant judgment, and superficial validation on young individuals. People constantly seek for approval, but often what comes back it does at the expense of genuine identity. The narrative questions also whether true rebellion lies in conforming, or in embracing one’s own happiness and spreading love amidst societal pressures instead.
Actor Anson Boon, instead, stressed the attention on how the film shows how social media shapes identity and peoples validation, exploring how a reintroduction of cultural education can foster a healthier development. On this path, the transformative power of culture and literature can play a crucial role, pushing the younger generations in engaging with classic novels, music, and cinema again, gravitating away from harmful pursuits toward self-awareness.
“Good Boy” by director Jan Komasa challenges viewers to reflect on the societal cages we inhabit daily, highlighting the potential that culture play in helping break free and foster genuine individuality.
Plot
Tommy, a 19-year-old hooligan, lives a life of drugs, parties, and violence. After a night of wild partying with his friends, he separates from the group and is kidnapped by a mysterious figure. Although no stranger to violence, he is horrified when he wakes up with a chain around his neck in the basement of the isolated home of the wealthy family of Chris (Graham), his wife Kathryn (Riseborough), and their young son Jonathan. The kidnapping is part of this strange family's plan to turn Tommy into a “good boy.” Subjected to forced rehabilitation while trapped in a dysfunctional family, Tommy must choose between pleasing his relentless tormentors or trying to escape at all costs.
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