The episode argues that The Good Son works because it is a high-craft, very silly, extremely effective 'from hell' movie: a children-in-danger thriller driven by two standout child performances, a lean runtime, and a gleefully evil Macaulay Culkin turn. The hosts admire the movie’s momentum and staging while repeatedly poking holes in its plot logic and adult behavior.
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01Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood give unusually strong child performances for a thriller of this kind. About 8 min
02The movie is short, tightly paced, and never blinks about Henry’s evilness. About 32 min
03The set pieces are memorable and visually impressive, especially the cliff ending and the treehouse/well sequence. About 56 min
04It functions as a funny, nasty museum piece of early-90s studio craft plus absurd plotting. About 24 min · medium confidence
WHAT DID NOT WORK
Their main criticisms
majorThe plot requires implausibly negligent adults, especially David Morse’s father being absent and sending Mark away after family tragedy. About 1:12
majorThe movie leaves too many unanswered practical questions about the murders, injuries, and police response. About 1:20
moderateSome supporting performances, especially Quinn Culkin, are badly underplayed or weak. About 48 min
minorRoger Ebert’s reaction is cited as understanding the movie’s unpleasantness, even if the hosts disagree with his severity. About 24 min
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
Standout moments
Favorite
Evil-kid rankings opening
The hosts compare Henry to Damien, Joffrey, Kevin, Reagan, Orphan, and other child-monster characters.
Opening minutes Favorite
Treehouse, cigarettes, and the well
Henry tests Mark in the treehouse, then drags him through increasingly sinister play that ends with a dead dog and a well.
About 56 min Favorite
Mr. Highway on the road
Henry causes a multi-car highway crash with a homemade dummy, which the hosts love for its lunacy.
About 1:12 positive
Therapist bench scene
Mark tells the therapist to believe in evil, making the movie’s moral worldview explicit.
About 1:04 Favorite
Connie through the ice
The rescue scene on the frozen pond becomes one of the episode’s favorite moments and most shocking near-deaths.
About 1:04 mixed
Duck in the shed discovery
The mom finds disturbing items in Henry’s shed, confirming her suspicions too late.
About 48 min Favorite
Cliffhanger finale
The final choice between the boys at the cliff is treated as outrageous, funny, and unforgettable.
About 32 min
WHERE THEY DISAGREED
The biggest debates
They partly agreed About 16 min
Should the movie explain why Henry is evil?
Sean Fennessey
No; it is better that the film just presents evil incarnate.
Bill Simmons
Yes-ish; a studio movie today would psychologize him more, but the simplicity is part of the fun.
They partly agreed About 1:20
Would the mother save Henry or Mark?
Bill Simmons
She chooses blood and saves Henry.
Chris Ryan
She can plausibly choose Henry because she has already emotionally lost trust in Mark.
Sean Fennessey
The movie implies a terrible parental choice, but it should be read as a desperate survival decision.
They agreed About 24 min
Is the movie better as straight horror or with some explanation?
Bill Simmons
Better as an unhinged, under-explained studio thriller.
Chris Ryan
The unexplained evil and moral pressure are exactly what make it work.
11 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers
