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The Good Son

 The Good Son
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TVTItem
 The Good Son
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The Good Son
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TheGoodSon
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The Good Son is a 1993 horror thriller film starring Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood. The film was directed by Joseph Ruben, previously known for such films as The Stepfather (1987) and Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), and based on a script by acclaimed novelist Ian McEwan, which was rewritten by others due to Executive Meddling.It is about Henry Evans (Culkin), a psychopathic boy terrorizing his cousin, Mark (Elijah Wood). Mark tries incredibly hard to convince his family that Henry is evil, a fact that should be noticed even if you're three miles away. Mark continually tries to stop Henry from getting worse, only to have Henry make him look worse at every turn...Compare with The Bad Seed, to which this movie bears more than a passing resemblance (only The Bad Seed is focused on a girl).
 The Good Son
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2023-09-22T19:22:44Z
 The Good Son
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2023-09-22T19:22:44Z
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DBTropes
 The Good Son / int_130436b9
type
Annoying Younger Sibling
 The Good Son / int_130436b9
comment
Annoying Younger Sibling: Henry treats Connie as this. However, it's because he wants to kill her. Connie is actually very nice and friendly to other people, such as Mark.
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 The Good Son / int_19851b86
type
The Sociopath
 The Good Son / int_19851b86
comment
The Sociopath: Henry is a textbook example of one; ruthless, dishonest, callous, manipulative, sadistic, unsympathetic and selfish.
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The Good Son / int_19851b86
 The Good Son / int_19a5d773
type
They Look Just Like Everyone Else!
 The Good Son / int_19a5d773
comment
They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: Henry, who's played by Macaulay Culkin of all people.
 The Good Son / int_19a5d773
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The Good Son / int_19a5d773
 The Good Son / int_1d2400e9
type
Green-Eyed Monster
 The Good Son / int_1d2400e9
comment
Green-Eyed Monster: Henry's Fatal Flaw. He killed his younger brother, Richard because he was given more attention than him and wanted Mark and Connie out of the way so he could be the favorite, all out of pure jealousy.
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The Good Son / int_1d2400e9
 The Good Son / int_1f42a0d6
type
Scary Flashlight Face
 The Good Son / int_1f42a0d6
comment
Scary Flashlight Face: Henry does this when he and Mark are looking for Connie during hide and seek.
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The Good Son / int_1f42a0d6
 The Good Son / int_22294000
type
Sarcastic Title
 The Good Son / int_22294000
comment
Sarcastic Title: If the son in question is Henry.
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The Good Son / int_22294000
 The Good Son / int_22cf536c
type
Chekhov's Gun
 The Good Son / int_22cf536c
comment
Chekhov's Gun: Well, more like Chekhov's Cliff.
 The Good Son / int_22cf536c
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The Good Son / int_22cf536c
 The Good Son / int_24321e44
type
Only Sane Man
 The Good Son / int_24321e44
comment
Only Sane Man: Mark, and even Connie are pretty much the only people who are fully aware of Henry's sociopathic behavior and Mark constantly tries to warn everyone about it.
 The Good Son / int_24321e44
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The Good Son / int_24321e44
 The Good Son / int_2764d432
type
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
 The Good Son / int_2764d432
comment
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Henry manipulates adults to believe he's a "sweet" kid while showing his true evil self to Mark and Connie.
 The Good Son / int_2764d432
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The Good Son / int_2764d432
 The Good Son / int_27ab0123
type
Offing the Offspring
 The Good Son / int_27ab0123
comment
Offing the Offspring: Susan ultimately has to choose which child will live when she can only rescue one...and she lets Henry die.
 The Good Son / int_27ab0123
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The Good Son / int_27ab0123
 The Good Son / int_297ab1b9
type
Parental Abandonment
 The Good Son / int_297ab1b9
comment
Parental Abandonment: Mark's mother dies at the start of the film, and his father is never seen again after leaving Mark with his aunt and uncle.
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The Good Son / int_297ab1b9
 The Good Son / int_2bbe31c9
type
Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant
 The Good Son / int_2bbe31c9
comment
Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: Make one guess.
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 The Good Son / int_2c25dfd7
type
Suicidal "Gotcha!"
 The Good Son / int_2c25dfd7
comment
Suicidal "Gotcha!": After Susan finally figures out that Henry was behind Richard's death, he runs away and tricks her into believing he's jumped off a cliff. When she's looking for him, he runs out from behind some bushes and shoves her over the edge, setting up the film's climax.
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The Good Son / int_2c25dfd7
 The Good Son / int_2d4fa515
type
Ax-Crazy
 The Good Son / int_2d4fa515
comment
Ax-Crazy: Henry. He killed his younger brother because he had been playing with one of Henry’s toys. He causes traffic accidents on the highway, shoots a dog with a nail gun and tries to kill his sister all For the Evulz and finally tries to kill his Mom when she discovers the truth.
 The Good Son / int_2d4fa515
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The Good Son / int_2d4fa515
 The Good Son / int_319e4a2f
type
Even Evil Has Standards
 The Good Son / int_319e4a2f
comment
Even Evil Has Standards: It's a very small example but when Mark asks Henry if he put poison in the family's food, he asks Mark why he'd do something like that; esentially stating that he wouldn't.
 The Good Son / int_319e4a2f
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The Good Son / int_319e4a2f
 The Good Son / int_3dec5d4e
type
Reminiscing About Your Victims
 The Good Son / int_3dec5d4e
comment
Reminiscing About Your Victims: One of the first signs of Henry's sociopathy is when he tells Mark what Richard's corpse looked like.
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The Good Son / int_3dec5d4e
 The Good Son / int_3f11ef74
type
Parental Substitute
 The Good Son / int_3f11ef74
comment
Parental Substitute: Susan becomes this for Mark over the course of the movie.
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The Good Son / int_3f11ef74
 The Good Son / int_40bb59d0
type
Blatant Lies
 The Good Son / int_40bb59d0
comment
Blatant Lies: While dangling from the cliff, Henry tries to get his mom to save him by saying "Mom, I love you"...right after he had tried to kill her by knocking her off the cliff.
 The Good Son / int_40bb59d0
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The Good Son / int_40bb59d0
 The Good Son / int_40c57041
type
Manipulative Bastard
 The Good Son / int_40c57041
comment
Manipulative Bastard: Henry is a master at this, as he successfully fools his parents, even Mark's therapist and makes Mark look like a crazy person and himself look like a saint.
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The Good Son / int_40c57041
 The Good Son / int_40cc0c7e
type
Bittersweet Ending
 The Good Son / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: Henry is dead and Susan and Mark both survive the experience, but Mark is left wondering what would happen if Susan had to make the choice again. And there's the obvious mental scarring. The ending basically leaves you with the implication that there will be many hard years ahead, particularly for Susan.
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The Good Son / int_40cc0c7e
 The Good Son / int_41d50d81
type
Big Brother Bully
 The Good Son / int_41d50d81
comment
Big Brother Bully: Even before he tries to kill his sister, Henry is rude towards Connie. He even held her hand on the ice rink just so that killing her would be easier, and it's not like Connie was expecting that anyway. That’s not even to mention him killing his baby brother, Richard, in cold blood.
 The Good Son / int_41d50d81
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The Good Son / int_41d50d81
 The Good Son / int_4d1ac25b
type
Villains Want Mercy
 The Good Son / int_4d1ac25b
comment
Villains Want Mercy: Exploited and justified. As he and Mark are held by Susan at the edge of a precipice, Henry realizes she can only save one kid and tries to sway his mother to save him repeatedly saying "Mom, Mom, I love you" in order to overwhelm her with guilt. Predictably, it doesn't take — to save Mark, Susan lets the evil little brat tumble and smash on the rocks below, with him screaming all the way as a final middle finger to her; almost as if to say "I may not have to live with you killing one of your own kids, but you will, and there's nothing you can do about it."
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The Good Son / int_4d1ac25b
 The Good Son / int_50b05d30
type
Disproportionate Retribution
 The Good Son / int_50b05d30
comment
Disproportionate Retribution: The reason Henry drowned his brother in the bath was that he had Henry's rubber duck. Henry then kept the duck as a kind of trophy.
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The Good Son / int_50b05d30
 The Good Son / int_5313c266
type
Bookends
 The Good Son / int_5313c266
comment
Book Ends: The movie opens and closes on Mark standing on a large rocky hill looking into the distance.
 The Good Son / int_5313c266
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The Good Son / int_5313c266
 The Good Son / int_55180ce
type
Snow Means Death
 The Good Son / int_55180ce
comment
Snow Means Death: It's winter when Mark goes to stay with Henry and his family. A great deal of attention is paid to the ice pond and cold surroundings.
 The Good Son / int_55180ce
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The Good Son / int_55180ce
 The Good Son / int_567e7c4d
type
Wounded Gazelle Gambit
 The Good Son / int_567e7c4d
comment
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Henry pulls this when Uncle Wallace comes in to discover Mark looking like he's going to kill Henry after Henry indirectly implies to Mark that he will kill Susan next.
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The Good Son / int_567e7c4d
 The Good Son / int_56cdab49
type
Infant Sibling Jealousy
 The Good Son / int_56cdab49
comment
Infant Sibling Jealousy: Henry felt this toward his baby brother Richard in the past, with deadly consequences.
 The Good Son / int_56cdab49
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The Good Son / int_56cdab49
 The Good Son / int_5bdcc85a
type
Disney Villain Death
 The Good Son / int_5bdcc85a
comment
Disney Villain Death: Henry. We only see the aftermath of his fall onto the rocks after Susan pulls Mark up and they both look down.
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The Good Son / int_5bdcc85a
 The Good Son / int_5f146203
type
Dissonant Serenity
 The Good Son / int_5f146203
comment
Dissonant Serenity: Something that enhances Henry's Creepy Child status.
 The Good Son / int_5f146203
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The Good Son / int_5f146203
 The Good Son / int_5fbb8d8e
type
Hollywood Density
 The Good Son / int_5fbb8d8e
comment
Hollywood Density: Henry tries to kill his sister by hurling her onto thin ice, where she immediately falls through. However, several adults trying to save her easily walk on the ice and need massive axes to chip it open mere seconds later.
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The Good Son / int_5fbb8d8e
 The Good Son / int_63389b0b
type
Kids Are Cruel
 The Good Son / int_63389b0b
comment
Kids Are Cruel: Henry is a very disturbing and frightening example.
 The Good Son / int_63389b0b
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The Good Son / int_63389b0b
 The Good Son / int_658f7193
type
Lack of Empathy
 The Good Son / int_658f7193
comment
Lack of Empathy: Henry for the umpteenth time. In particular when he asks Mark about how his mother looked when she died and described how his baby brother looked and felt as a corpse.
 The Good Son / int_658f7193
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The Good Son / int_658f7193
 The Good Son / int_680f950
type
Gilligan Cut
 The Good Son / int_680f950
comment
Gilligan Cut: A pretty depressing example occurs at the beginning, when Mark is sitting by the bed of his terminally ill mother, repeating desperately that she won't die because he won't let her. Then it cuts to her funeral.
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The Good Son / int_680f950
 The Good Son / int_69681e01
type
Big Brother Instinct
 The Good Son / int_69681e01
comment
Big Brother Instinct: Connie is nice, especially when compared with her brother Henry. She does what it takes to try to help Mark cope with the loss of his mother, she even sides with Mark after the hide and seek game. Mark in return gets along better with Connie, reading her bed time stories, helping her with puzzles and slamming Henry against the wall for hurting her.
 The Good Son / int_69681e01
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The Good Son / int_69681e01
 The Good Son / int_7286e96d
type
Idiot Ball
 The Good Son / int_7286e96d
comment
Idiot Ball: It's the only reason the adults don't see the obvious malicious nature of Henry.
 The Good Son / int_7286e96d
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The Good Son / int_7286e96d
 The Good Son / int_77ed6b7d
type
Troubling Unchildlike Behavior
 The Good Son / int_77ed6b7d
comment
Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Henry has this in spades.
 The Good Son / int_77ed6b7d
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The Good Son / int_77ed6b7d
 The Good Son / int_780a078e
type
Self-Made Orphan
 The Good Son / int_780a078e
comment
Self-Made Orphan: Henry tries this on Susan in the end. It backfires on an epic scale.
 The Good Son / int_780a078e
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The Good Son / int_780a078e
 The Good Son / int_7efe1c56
type
Critical Psychoanalysis Failure
 The Good Son / int_7efe1c56
comment
Critical Psychoanalysis Failure: Henry actually manipulates Mark's psychologist, who should obviously be capable of telling how a psychologically disturbed child with no empathy acts.
 The Good Son / int_7efe1c56
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The Good Son / int_7efe1c56
 The Good Son / int_87d8ecf5
type
Literal Cliffhanger
 The Good Son / int_87d8ecf5
comment
Literal Cliffhanger: Henry shoves his mother off a cliff and tries to finish her off with a rock to break her attempts to climb back up. Susan manages to pull herself back up just as Mark attacks Henry and both boys go over the side, forcing her to try and save them by catching them.
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The Good Son / int_87d8ecf5
 The Good Son / int_8ae880f7
type
Deconstruction
 The Good Son / int_8ae880f7
comment
Deconstruction: Henry can be viewed as a deconstruction of Macaulay Culkin's most famous role, Kevin McCallister — a Wise Beyond Their Years kid that can outsmart and manipulate grown adults, creates homemade contraptions, and derives enjoyment from hurting people. With Kevin, it's played for comedy and his victims are criminals, but with Henry, it's played without the comedy and to its logical conclusion: Such a kid would realistically be a sociopath, it wouldn't take much for that kid to graduate to murder, and he would target anyone for any reason (perceived slights, jealousy, for fun, etc.).
 The Good Son / int_8ae880f7
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The Good Son / int_8ae880f7
 The Good Son / int_90d44f44
type
Karmic Death
 The Good Son / int_90d44f44
comment
Karmic Death: In the climax, Henry tries to kill his mother by shoving her off a cliff. He's the one who ends up falling from it - by her hand.
 The Good Son / int_90d44f44
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The Good Son / int_90d44f44
 The Good Son / int_957e5fc2
type
Villainous Breakdown
 The Good Son / int_957e5fc2
comment
Villainous Breakdown: Henry was about to murder his mother with gleeful confidence that no one will stop him from committing any evil, but when Mark jumps in and tackles him, thus ruining his murder attempt, you can tell through his fight with Mark that he is absolutely furious and enraged.
 The Good Son / int_957e5fc2
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The Good Son / int_957e5fc2
 The Good Son / int_95b7c400
type
Faux Affably Evil
 The Good Son / int_95b7c400
comment
Faux Affably Evil: Henry initially projects an easygoing, friendly image, but he is a manipulative, crazy monster.
 The Good Son / int_95b7c400
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The Good Son / int_95b7c400
 The Good Son / int_95c2a9dd
type
Outliving One's Offspring
 The Good Son / int_95c2a9dd
comment
Outliving One's Offspring: Susan is definitely this as she goes through the incidents that happened to her offspring, her youngest son being drowned in a bathtub and her daughter almost drowning in cold water at the ice rink and being sent to the hospital, and ultimately watching her son fall off a cliff to his death after she chooses to save Mark over him.
 The Good Son / int_95c2a9dd
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The Good Son / int_95c2a9dd
 The Good Son / int_96fbeaf
type
There Are No Therapists
 The Good Son / int_96fbeaf
comment
There Are No Therapists: There is in fact a therapist in the movie; she's here to help Mark get over his grief of losing his mother. However, despite her professional training, she thinks Mark's behavior and ramblings about his cousin being is evil is just a way to get attention. She also fails to recognize Henry as a manipulative monster who doesn't have any shred of empathy.
 The Good Son / int_96fbeaf
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The Good Son / int_96fbeaf
 The Good Son / int_970c790a
type
Big Bad
 The Good Son / int_970c790a
comment
Big Bad: Henry, a rare child example.
 The Good Son / int_970c790a
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The Good Son / int_970c790a
 The Good Son / int_9b54d536
type
Evil Counterpart
 The Good Son / int_9b54d536
comment
Evil Counterpart: As seen in Deconstruction and Spiritual Antithesis, Henry can be viewed as one to Kevin McCallister. He is also one to Mark in-universe.
 The Good Son / int_9b54d536
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The Good Son / int_9b54d536
 The Good Son / int_9c5e78d0
type
Kill the Cutie
 The Good Son / int_9c5e78d0
comment
Kill the Cutie: Subverted. Henry attempts to kill Connie by throwing her onto thin ice. She's saved from drowning, but she ends up in the hospital.
 The Good Son / int_9c5e78d0
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The Good Son / int_9c5e78d0
 The Good Son / int_9fe35833
type
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas
 The Good Son / int_9fe35833
comment
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Henry doesn't, but he's perfectly willing to let Susan think so if it means she'll save him rather than Mark in the end. Thankfully, she doesn't.
 The Good Son / int_9fe35833
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The Good Son / int_9fe35833
 The Good Son / int_a4905771
type
Double-Meaning Title
 The Good Son / int_a4905771
comment
Double-Meaning Title: Even though it might have a Sarcastic Title it could also however refer to his Good Counterpart cousin and the protagonist, Mark played by Elijah Wood. It also could come from the idea of how Henry manipulates adults to make himself look better in comparison to Mark as if to say "see, I'm the good son".
 The Good Son / int_a4905771
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The Good Son / int_a4905771
 The Good Son / int_a49914aa
type
Bowdlerization
 The Good Son / int_a49914aa
comment
Bowdlerization: In the UK cut of this movie, the scene of Henry throwing a dummy off a bridge onto a road and causing a multiple-car pile-up was edited (in one of many examples of UK censors getting rid of scenes featuring dangerous actions that can easily be imitated in real life, mostly fight moves, destructive pranks, ingesting chemicals, and tooling around with sharp objects, electricity, or fire).
 The Good Son / int_a49914aa
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1.0
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The Good Son / int_a49914aa
 The Good Son / int_a6123b72
type
Enfant Terrible
 The Good Son / int_a6123b72
comment
Enfant Terrible: Henry Evans.
 The Good Son / int_a6123b72
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1.0
 The Good Son / int_a6123b72
featureConfidence
1.0
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The Good Son / int_a6123b72
 The Good Son / int_a659f3a4
type
Sibling Murder
 The Good Son / int_a659f3a4
comment
Sibling Murder: Henry drowned his baby brother over a rubber duck.
 The Good Son / int_a659f3a4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_a659f3a4
featureConfidence
1.0
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The Good Son / int_a659f3a4
 The Good Son / int_a939d96a
type
Adults Are Useless
 The Good Son / int_a939d96a
comment
Adults Are Useless: Really, all the signs are there but not one adult sees how off Henry is. When Mark points this out, he is labeled the crazy one. Even a child psychiatrist refuses to believe that Henry is evil, and the latter actually manipulates her successfully. note Unfortunately, this happens with frightening regularity in the real world. Mark's father leaving him with relatives so he can go on a business trip. Immediately after his son's mother died. Even worse, Mark's father doesn't seem to take Mark's report about Henry's cruel nature seriously because we never see him return from his business trip after this.
 The Good Son / int_a939d96a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_a939d96a
featureConfidence
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 The Good Son
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The Good Son / int_a939d96a
 The Good Son / int_adfd3165
type
For the Evulz
 The Good Son / int_adfd3165
comment
For the Evulz: This is pretty much the core of Henry's philosophy: For people to invokedrid themselves of morals so that they can kill and terrorize for simple thrills and fun. And he reflects this philosophy in his own actions throughout the movie.
 The Good Son / int_adfd3165
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1.0
 The Good Son / int_adfd3165
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The Good Son / int_adfd3165
 The Good Son / int_b39d5719
type
Sadist
 The Good Son / int_b39d5719
comment
Sadist: Henry shows this trait multiple times throughout the movie. He felt nothing but cold joy and satisfaction after murdering a dog with his crossbow, and had a Psychotic Smirk on his face whilst watching the car accident he caused get bigger.
 The Good Son / int_b39d5719
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1.0
 The Good Son / int_b39d5719
featureConfidence
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hasFeature
The Good Son / int_b39d5719
 The Good Son / int_b58b4e3c
type
Too Dumb to Live
 The Good Son / int_b58b4e3c
comment
Too Dumb to Live: Again, the adults who can't seem to wrap their heads around just how genuinely screwed up Henry is. This includes a child psychologist, by the way. note Unfortunately a case of Truth in Television; The film was made in 1993, and it took 20 years to get any form of diagnosis for a child psychopath added to the DSM. Children like Henry in the real world fool adults and professionals with alarming regularity.
 The Good Son / int_b58b4e3c
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 The Good Son / int_b58b4e3c
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 The Good Son
hasFeature
The Good Son / int_b58b4e3c
 The Good Son / int_babc974
type
Sadistic Choice
 The Good Son / int_babc974
comment
Sadistic Choice: The climax of the film depicts Susan having to choose whether to save Mark or Henry from falling off a cliff. Thankfully, she picks the right one.
 The Good Son / int_babc974
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1.0
 The Good Son / int_babc974
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hasFeature
The Good Son / int_babc974
 The Good Son / int_bb18a227
type
It's All About Me
 The Good Son / int_bb18a227
comment
It's All About Me: Henry. He shows no consideration for anyone and is willing to murder to get what he wants, like murdering his baby brother over a toy, and trying to murder Mark and Connie because he was afraid they would be noticed more.
 The Good Son / int_bb18a227
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 The Good Son
hasFeature
The Good Son / int_bb18a227
 The Good Son / int_bc00493f
type
Precision F-Strike
 The Good Son / int_bc00493f
comment
Precision F-Strike: "Hey, Mark. Don't fuck with me."
 The Good Son / int_bc00493f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_bc00493f
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Good Son
hasFeature
The Good Son / int_bc00493f
 The Good Son / int_c019a4c7
type
Empty Bedroom Grieving
 The Good Son / int_c019a4c7
comment
Empty Bedroom Grieving: Susan keeps her toddler son Richard's room in the same condition and has photos of him on stands after he drowned in the bathtub, it is later revealed his older brother Henry killed him in a fit of rage after finding out his parents gave him one of his old toys.
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hasFeature
The Good Son / int_c019a4c7
 The Good Son / int_c32201f6
type
Good Colors, Evil Colors
 The Good Son / int_c32201f6
comment
Good Colors, Evil Colors: Mark wears a blue jacket and Henry wears a red jacket.
 The Good Son / int_c32201f6
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_c32201f6
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The Good Son / int_c32201f6
 The Good Son / int_c32ff031
type
Xanatos Gambit
 The Good Son / int_c32ff031
comment
Xanatos Gambit: Henry manages to convince all the adults that Mark is unstable and violent. He has him boxed in to such a degree that no matter what Mark does, the adults see Mark as the disturbed one and Henry as a normal child.
 The Good Son / int_c32ff031
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 The Good Son / int_c32ff031
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hasFeature
The Good Son / int_c32ff031
 The Good Son / int_c5249b29
type
Nice Guy
 The Good Son / int_c5249b29
comment
Nice Guy: Mark and Connie Evans. Both of them are great cousins toward each other and former did as much as he could to protect the latter from Henry.
 The Good Son / int_c5249b29
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_c5249b29
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The Good Son / int_c5249b29
 The Good Son / int_c54d550d
type
Novelization
 The Good Son / int_c54d550d
comment
Novelization: By author Todd Strasser, who also novelized the first three Home Alone movies.
 The Good Son / int_c54d550d
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The Good Son / int_c54d550d
 The Good Son / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 The Good Son / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: When they meet for the first time, Henry gives Mark a white mask made of paper and glue.
 The Good Son / int_c75df49a
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_c75df49a
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 The Good Son
hasFeature
The Good Son / int_c75df49a
 The Good Son / int_cc39902e
type
Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon
 The Good Son / int_cc39902e
comment
Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: Henry may look like a nice guy in the outside, but he's a sociopath in the inside.
 The Good Son / int_cc39902e
featureApplicability
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 The Good Son / int_cc39902e
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The Good Son / int_cc39902e
 The Good Son / int_cd33644f
type
Incriminating Indifference
 The Good Son / int_cd33644f
comment
Incriminating Indifference: Henry never shows any emotion or regret about any of the crimes he commits, including those that happen in plain sight.
 The Good Son / int_cd33644f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_cd33644f
featureConfidence
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The Good Son / int_cd33644f
 The Good Son / int_ce2969d8
type
Spiritual Antithesis
 The Good Son / int_ce2969d8
comment
Spiritual Antithesis: To Home Alone. Both films star Macaulay Culkin as an intelligent kid with great ingenuity that delights in causing pain. While Home Alone is a slapstick comedy that portrays said kid as a hero that (violently) defends his home from burglars, The Good Son is a thriller where said kid is the villain - an amoral sociopath that terrorizes people for fun and tries to murder his own family members.
 The Good Son / int_ce2969d8
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The Good Son / int_ce2969d8
 The Good Son / int_cf92fea8
type
Cassandra Truth
 The Good Son / int_cf92fea8
comment
Cassandra Truth: No one believes Mark when he tries to warn everyone how dangerous his cousin is.
 The Good Son / int_cf92fea8
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_cf92fea8
featureConfidence
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The Good Son / int_cf92fea8
 The Good Son / int_d2102da0
type
Bad People Abuse Animals
 The Good Son / int_d2102da0
comment
Bad People Abuse Animals: Henry shoots and kills a dog with a nail crossbow.
 The Good Son / int_d2102da0
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_d2102da0
featureConfidence
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The Good Son / int_d2102da0
 The Good Son / int_dab2f3ee
type
Good Smoking, Evil Smoking
 The Good Son / int_dab2f3ee
comment
Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: The first sign of Henry's true nature is that he smokes and gets Mark to smoke as well.
 The Good Son / int_dab2f3ee
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_dab2f3ee
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The Good Son / int_dab2f3ee
 The Good Son / int_de62097f
type
Beyond Redemption
 The Good Son / int_de62097f
comment
Beyond Redemption: The murder-suicide attempt by Henry on himself and Mark is what finally makes Susan realize that her son is evil.
 The Good Son / int_de62097f
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_de62097f
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The Good Son / int_de62097f
 The Good Son / int_e5421161
type
Expy
 The Good Son / int_e5421161
comment
Expy: Henry Evans is basically a genderflipped version of Rhoda Penmark from The Bad Seed (as mentioned on the movie's trope page). Both are young children who may look innocent at first glance but in fact, they've secretly done terrible things behind the backs of their parents and relatives. However while Rhoda gets away scot-free with her crimes in almost all versions of the story (except the 1956 movie adaptation), Henry gets his comeuppance when he falls to his death.
 The Good Son / int_e5421161
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 The Good Son / int_e5421161
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The Good Son / int_e5421161
 The Good Son / int_e5e5d228
type
Abusive Offspring
 The Good Son / int_e5e5d228
comment
Abusive Offspring: Henry Evans, a sociopathic kid who causes mayhem between others and his family members and outright tries to kill his own mother in the end.
 The Good Son / int_e5e5d228
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Good Son / int_e5e5d228
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The Good Son / int_e5e5d228
 The Good Son / int_e62dfb96
type
No Endor Holocaust
 The Good Son / int_e62dfb96
comment
No Endor Holocaust: After causing a massive car crash, dialogue between Mark and Henry implies that Henry only could have killed somebody, but actually didn't.
 The Good Son / int_e62dfb96
featureApplicability
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 The Good Son / int_e62dfb96
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 The Good Son
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The Good Son / int_e62dfb96
 The Good Son / int_eaf5a1ac
type
Groin Attack
 The Good Son / int_eaf5a1ac
comment
Groin Attack: During their scuffle at the end, Henry knees Mark in the groin.
 The Good Son / int_eaf5a1ac
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 The Good Son / int_eaf5a1ac
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 The Good Son
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The Good Son / int_eaf5a1ac
 The Good Son / int_eb81c601
type
Big Damn Heroes
 The Good Son / int_eb81c601
comment
Big Damn Heroes: Mark tackles Henry when he tries to throw a big rock on his own mother, Susan, while she dangles off the edge of a cliff.
 The Good Son / int_eb81c601
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 The Good Son / int_eb81c601
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 The Good Son
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The Good Son / int_eb81c601
 The Good Son / int_eb8ec7c8
type
Jerkass
 The Good Son / int_eb8ec7c8
comment
Jerkass: The nicest thing that can be said about Henry.
 The Good Son / int_eb8ec7c8
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 The Good Son / int_eb8ec7c8
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The Good Son / int_eb8ec7c8
 The Good Son / int_f3d5d15f
type
Creepy Child
 The Good Son / int_f3d5d15f
comment
Creepy Child: Guess who?
 The Good Son / int_f3d5d15f
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 The Good Son / int_f3d5d15f
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The Good Son / int_f3d5d15f
 The Good Son / int_fda23a3b
type
SpearCounterpart
 The Good Son / int_fda23a3b
comment
Spear Counterpart: Henry is a male version of Rhoda Penmark.
 The Good Son / int_fda23a3b
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 The Good Son / int_name
type
ItemName
 The Good Son / int_name
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 The Good Son / int_name
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The Good Son / int_name
 The Good Son / int_name
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The Good Son

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Good Son
hasFeature
Beyond Redemption / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Cool Uncle / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Danger — Thin Ice / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Definite Article Title / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Devil in Plain Sight / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Distanced from Current Events / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Doting Parent / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Empty Bedroom Grieving / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Evil Orphan / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Films of 1990–1994 / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Good Smoking, Evil Smoking / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Hitler Cam / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Left Hanging / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Literal Cliffhanger / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Little Professor Dialog / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Lost Voice Plot / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Mature Work, Child Protagonists / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Nail 'Em / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Psychological Thriller / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Sarcastic Title / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Scary Flashlight Face / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Sibling Murder / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Soft Glass / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Spoiler Cover / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Suicidal "Gotcha!" / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Take My Hand! / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Talking with Signs / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
The Cassandra / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
seeAlso
The Good Son
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Translation Matchmaking / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Troubling Unchildlike Behavior / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Vorpal Pillow / int_22caa0de
 The Good Son
hasFeature
Written-In Infirmity / int_22caa0de