THE BOY (****)

(2016) Nope, sorry, didn't see the ending coming with this one, as some reviews have complained about - which was one of the biggest reasons I found this low budget, creepy little thriller to be refreshing and fun.  "Walking Dead" alum Lauren Cohan stars as Greta, a young woman running from her own demons who takes a job for a family in England as a nanny, overseeing the care of the middle-aged couple's young son Brahms.  Soon after arriving, Greta is introduced to the boy, and is a bit taken aback (to say the least) to find that Brahms is a life-sized doll the older couple actually believes is their human child.  After the local guy who delivers groceries to the manor house explains how the Heelshires lost their son under horrible circumstances, having "adopted" the doll as their son to cope, Greta feels almost guilty at what appears to be the ease of her new job ... until Mrs. Heelshire comes up with a stringent and lengthy list of rules Greta must not break, and then the couple leave on a short trip - leaving Greta and Brahms alone - and the nanny realizes she's not exactly alone in the house, after all.  Very creepy and full of atmosphere, I was gripped from the beginning - and while I maybe should have guessed the twist at the end, I was too busy enjoying the ride to keep an eye out for the finish line.  (rated PG-13)

THE BOY trailer