Adolescence star Stephen Graham explains his “twisted, warped” character’s motivations in unsettling new film

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Stephen Graham has consistently demonstrated his impressive range as an actor, and his latest role in the drama The Good Boy is particularly different from anything he’s done before.

The movie, released in UK cinemas last week, features the actor playing Chris, a man who kidnaps a troubled nineteen-year-old named Tommy. With his wife, Kathryn, he attempts a bizarre and unsettling program to reform the young man.

It’s unclear what Chris is really about – his family situation and why he captured Tommy are both mysteries. However, it seems like a person named Charlie, who apparently died recently, is central to understanding everything.

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The film never fully explains who Charlie really is – he could be the son of Chris and Kathryn, or perhaps someone who was kidnapped years ago. Director Jan Komasa intentionally left it ambiguous, encouraging the actors to develop their own ideas about Charlie’s past.

In an interview with TopMob, he explained that he asked Stephen, Andrea, and Kit Rakusen (who plays their son, Jonathan) to each develop their own backstory for the family, keeping their individual versions secret from one another.

After seeing their performances, I was inspired to make some changes to the script and my filming approach to better reflect their characters.

Graham said that developing a detailed history for the character was crucial to understanding his reasons, and it ultimately gave him a strong sense of why Chris was pursuing such a strange and disturbing plan.

He described Chris as a man deeply in love with his wife, who was now completely overwhelmed by grief. He wondered how to help her through it, and what he could do to make things better. He felt this was a common human impulse – to try and solve other people’s problems.

Okay, so the villain’s logic is just… deeply disturbing. He believes the way to ‘fix’ his issues is to essentially replace his son, and he approaches it with this chillingly casual attitude, like he’s picking out a pet. He calls this new son ‘The Good Boy.’ It’s not about wanting a child, it’s about control and replacement. And the truly horrifying part? He didn’t go after a baby, he deliberately sought someone he believed wouldn’t be deeply missed – and tragically, he was right. It’s a really unsettling detail that adds another layer to his monstrous behavior.

They attempted to help him see things differently and broaden his perspective, which was a really positive experience. It was a pleasure working with someone I hadn’t collaborated with before.

Komasa also mentioned the film could leave viewers with some thought-provoking questions after it ends.

“When you watch it, you’re like, ‘Oh everybody’s so wrong in this film,'” he said.

As you get further into it, you start to wonder if they actually have a point. That’s really what the story is about.

The Good Boy is now showing in UK cinemas.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona writes about film for TopMob, covering new releases in theaters and on streaming services. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time has interviewed many famous actors and reviewed a wide variety of films.

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2026-03-23 21:28