By Jessica Columbus
Amazon’s genre-bending superhero/political satire The Boys, which first aired in 2019, has become a game changer on our screens.
Written by Eric Kripke of Supernatural fame, The Boys delivers a bold, fresh, and satirical take on the over-saturated superhero genre. From its very first episode The Boys makes it clear it is not going to play by the rules.
Wickedly intelligent, The Boys offers a exploration of what would really happen if individuals were superpowered.
LANGUAGE WARNING
The show’s extremely dark humour is what sets it apart from the rest of the often-juvenile superhero genre. The Boys blends that dark humour with witty social commentary to hold a mirror up to our society, making the audience question the true nature of heroism and the cost of blind admiration.
The show draws parallels between our society and the society of The Boys Universe using dark humour and real-life Easter eggs, such as the hilarious take-off of the now-infamous celebrity Imagine rendition or the direct take-off of the also-infamous Kendal Jenner Pepsi ad. The Boy’s references are poignant and relevant to modern society and culture.
But perhaps the most compelling element of the series is its talent-stacked cast, from Karl Urban’s portrayal of Billy Butcher, which offers a perfect blend of both brutality and vulnerability to humanise an otherwise unredeemable character, to the often bumbling but loveable portrayal of Hughie by Jack Quaid (son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan) and hilarious cameos from stars such as Tilda Swinton.
But the real standout performance of The Boys is that of its main villain, Homelander.
Portrayed by New Zealand’s very own Antony Starr, Homelander is perhaps the most compelling, bone-chilling villain in TV history embodying the dangers of unchecked power.
The storytelling of The Boys is both daring and unpredictable. Just when you think you know where the show is heading everything is turned upside down, keeping the audience constantly on its toes.
Although the often-violent action scenes are perfectly choreographed, it is the show’s emotional in-depth delving into the characters’ humanity that makes it so brilliant.
Featured image: The main cast of The Boys. Photo: Vovik12177/CC/Good.Fon.com
