Boy Kills World Is Bill Skarsgård's Underrated John Wick-Style Action Movie

Published Oct 12, 2026, 8:30 PM EDT

Hammerstone production spent over five years trying to get the feature off the ground. It underwent delays, a re-cut of act one, and the late-in-production addition of a narrator. It quietly premiered at TIFF during the height of the actor’s strike, with little-to-no publicity.

There was still hope for the film following its distribution deal with Lionsgate/Roadside. With Barbarian and IT star Bill Skarsgård as the titular lead and Sam Raimi as a producer, Boy Kills World was expected to launch an action franchise a la John Wick. When the movie opened in theaters in April 2024, almost no one saw it. The aspiring blockbuster grossed just $2.6 million domestically and $3.2 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).

Its VOD and streaming releases provided a surprisingly meager bump in viewership. The film’s low recognition does not align with its reviews. Boy Kills World was fairly warmly received, earning a 7/10 from Screen Rant and a strong 72% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This raucous action-comedy is deserving of John Wick-level success.

Bill Skarsgård'a Boy Kills World Explained

Boy Kills World is an action comedy assassin film, stylistically similar to Keanu Reeves’ John Wick movies. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the R-rated bloodbath sees a young man known as "Boy" (Skarsgård) seek revenge on tyrant Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen), who killed his family when he was a child. He is motivated by his own vengeance, and eager to free the land from Koy’s harsh rule.

Boy is almost entirely mute, speaking just one word in Boy Kills World. His ongoing inner monologue is hilariously voiced by H. Jon Benjamin (Bob’s Burgers). Brett Gelman (Stranger Things and Fleabag) makes a reliably humerous appearance as another Van Der Koy family member.

Moritz Mohr directs Boy Kills World, in his feature debut. The director helped write the screenplay alongside Tyler Burton Smith and Arend Remmers, in this all-hands-on-deck production. Boy Kills World was a passion project for everyone involved, including Skarsgård who spent years training and learning fight choreography. Stunt coordinator Dawid Szatarski acted as assistant director and ensured that every action sequence was perfectly choreographed and conveyed the right feeling.

Why It Deserved To Be A John Wick-Sized Hit

Boy Kills World has been praised for its action sequences, gags, and performances. Similar to John Wick, it highlights action over dialogue and plot intricacies, making for a true spectacle. TIFF perfectly describes the flick as a “maximalist action-opera.”

Skarsgård is as powerful and magnetic in Boy Kills World as Reeves is in Wick. He has an advantage over Reeves in the comedy department, with his over-the-top expressions punctuated by a hilarious H. Jon Benjamin voice-over. He is able to imbue Boy with enough heart to make him a sympathetic lead, despite his violence. In terms of action, Skarsgård’s years of training pay off. The Pennywise actor shines as a full-fledged action-hero.

The true testament of a John Wick-style movie is its action sequences. In Boy Kills World, the action is perfectly absurd and expectedly gratuitous. Nothing is off limits in this wicked flick where even a cheese grater can be a weapon. As producer Alex Lebovici (Barbarian) told Deadline, the over-the-top violence is not for everyone, and Boy Kills World is “one of those that people either love or hate.” For John Wick fans, it is a must-see.

While Boy Kills World has yet to achieve the Wick-level success it deserves, it still has a chance. Lebovici hopes it will become a cult-classic midnight-movie (via Deadline). Currently, Boy Kills World is the ultimate hidden gem of the action assassin genre.

The 2024 flick is available to stream on YouTube and Amazon with a MovieSphere+ subscription.