In case you got here through means other than our original review keep in mind that this is part of a greater whole a there are SPOILERS INCOMING!
You have been warned.
For those who have read the novel you will know that the story starts off with the boy and his father traveling and interacting with no one in sight. There is even a point where the son asks if there are very many people left in the world. The novel provides a vacuum where the reader can connect to the characters because that is all there is, at least at the start.
The other surprise is the cannibalism. No where is it hinted that these things happen in the novel until they do and when they do you dread that they are occurring/have occurred. In the film, they tell you that it’s the worst thing to fear right off the bat. It leaves absolutely no room for surprise.
The other problem with the story is the dialog. Most of it has been lifted from the novel with a few minor tweaks. This should be a good thing, but the interactions between the father and the son are expanded upon and made slightly more complex. This is the worst idea possible. The simplicity of the character’s interactions in the novel almost provide an unfiltered view into the their inherent psyche. There is less time for them to interact if all the other “action” elements are to be accurately represented, so one can assume the decision was made with the best intentions in mind. Still, we think the boy should have said “OK” more since it was a major part of his dialog in the book.
On a final note in regards to the story, it is faithful to the novel in its pieces it’s just that they are rearranged. The film does work though and is totally worth watching regardless of the nitpicking featured above.
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