Dirty Boy 2025 Movie Review
Coming to UK theaters on Wednesday, September 10th, and landing on VOD October 15th, 2025, Dirty Boy arrives courtesy of Mystic Dream Story Studio and Stone Hill, in association with Saint Halo Productions. A Psychological Folk Thriller, the film marks the feature directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Doug Rao. At its core, the story follows Isaac (Stan Steinbichler: The Fox 2022, Eismayer 2022), a reclusive schizophrenic raised in an oppressive cult, who finds himself framed by its leaders for a string of ritualistic murders. To clear his name, he must save the cult’s next intended victim and confront the evil sect that shaped his life.
The film boasts a commanding presence in Graham McTavish (The Witcher series, Somewhere in Montana 2025) as Walter, the cult’s menacing patriarch, with Susie Porter (Cargo 2017, Wentworth series) as his equally fearsome wife. But while the film strives for stylistic intrigue, its promise is undermined by sluggish pacing, a wandering narrative, and tonal mismatches among its cast, leaving the final product more frustrating than frightening.
Where Dirty Boy succeeds is in its careful construction of tension and the audience’s growing fear for Isaac. By weaving in his internal monologue, the film not only deepens the psychological dimension of his character but also allows viewers to connect with his fractured sense of reality. This narrative device keeps us tethered to Isaac’s emotional journey, blurring the line between paranoia and truth in ways that elevate the suspense.
Adding to this is the fascinating world Rao creates—one that initially feels rooted in a rustic, almost period-piece aesthetic, yet is disrupted by flashes of futuristic technology. This unusual combination gives the film a distinct sense of place that feels both familiar and otherworldly. Complemented by immersive set design and detailed costuming, the atmosphere draws viewers fully into the cult’s shadowy domain, even when the story falters elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the story often meanders, with pacing that feels uneven and at times screeches to a halt. While tension is carefully built in certain moments, it is undercut by stretches that drag on far too long. The inclusion of some deeply uncomfortable scenes could have been an intentional choice to force the audience to sit in Isaac’s distress, but the execution doesn’t fully land. Instead of amplifying the horror, these moments stall the narrative flow, leaving the film feeling disjointed and testing the viewer’s patience rather than their nerves.
The performances are solid on their own, yet the film suffers from a striking tonal imbalance. Some actors lean into heightened, almost caricatured portrayals that verge on the theatrical, while others deliver more grounded, naturalistic performances. As a result, it often feels as though half the cast are performing in one type of film while the rest are inhabiting another. This clash in styles creates an uneven rhythm that distracts from the story and undermines the Thriller’s atmosphere.
In the end, Dirty Boy is a film brimming with potential—its unsettling premise, immersive world-building, and moments of genuine tension suggest a debut with real vision. Yet those sparks never fully ignite into a cohesive whole. The uneven pacing, tonal inconsistencies, and narrative detours erode what could have been a gripping Folk Thriller. Rao demonstrates an eye for atmosphere and an interest in character-driven storytelling, but the execution falls short of matching the ambition. What remains is a patchwork of strong ideas and memorable elements that never quite add up to the chilling, fully realized experience it sets out to be. This is why Cryptic Rock gives Dirty Boy 2 out of 5 stars.
