Macaulay Culkin's Creepy '90s Thriller Is A Hidden Gem On Prime Video

Macaulay Culkin might be remembered as one of the most lovable scamps of the 1990s, but if his psychological thriller "The Good Son" had performed better than it did, he might also be remembered for playing an absolute psychopath. If you'd like to revisit, or indeed watch for the first time, this overlooked entry in the Culkin filmography, it's available right now on Prime Video. 

If all Culkin ever did was star as Kevin McCallister in two "Home Alone" movies and play the lead role in 1994's "Richie Rich," he'd still be a legend. But the young star was actually much more prolific than most probably realize. Fans will no doubt recall him going toe to toe with John Candy's comedic might in 1989's "Uncle Buck" and very much holding his own. At the same time, he branched out from the realm of charming family comedies, with one of Culkin's earliest roles being in the beloved '80s crime thriller series "The Equalizer." The biggest departure from his more wholesome fare, however, came with 1993's "The Good Son," which, if nothing else, is fascinating for being the one time Culkin played an out and out evil-doer.

The film saw the young actor portray a disturbed child who attempts to bring his recently bereaved cousin, played by Elijah Wood, into the psychopath fold. The idea was for Culkin to demonstrate his range after making his name as a child star in beloved family comedies. It didn't quite work, but the result is undeniably compelling just for being so at odds with Culkin's other projects. As such, why not give it a look on Prime Video, assuming you're not in the mood for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's glum Netflix movie "The Rip?"

"The Good Son" stars Elijah Wood as Mark Evans, a 12-year-old who, after losing his mother, is sent to stay with his aunt and uncle in Maine. There, he meets his cousins Connie (Quinn Culkin) and Henry (Macaulay Culkin; again, the star of so many nostalgic movies that defined the '90s), who both seem fine at first. But the longer Mark spends time with Henry, the more it becomes clear that something's off.

Indeed, Henry kills a neighbor's dog, which should be the only red flag needed for child services to swoop in. But the little sadist is allowed to continue the mayhem, causing a pile-up on the highway and putting his own sister in a coma. Mark soon realizes his cousin is a psychopath who likely killed his younger brother, Richard, the year prior and desperately urges his extended family to recognize Henry's violent nature.

"The Good Son" was directed by Joseph Ruben, who also helmed 2004's "The Forgotten," which is a sort of tragically apt description of the man's filmography. Really, it's remarkable how many films Ruben made with big-name stars that now occupy the "I forgot they were in that movie" category. "Money Train" starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, "Return to Paradise" starring Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix, and "Penthouse North" starring the great Michael Keaton: All of these overlooked features came from Ruben, who did at least enjoy solid success with 1991's Julia Roberts-led "Sleeping with the Enemy." "The Good Son" is one of the more interesting Ruben films, however, as it's such an unlikely Culkin vehicle. When you learn how this film was made, however, you realize it was never supposed to be such a thing in the first place.

Macaulay Culkin's part in "The Good Son" was an R-rated horror role that a kid should never have played. And interestingly enough, he almost didn't. According to a 1995 report from the Los Angeles Times, it was "The Good Son" that sealed his father, Kit Culkin's, reputation as the "Stage Father From Hell." Why? Well, the notoriously controlling Hollywood dad, who Culkin himself has since described as a "bad man," reportedly barreled into production on "The Good Son" three weeks before shooting was set to begin and demanded that his son play the little psychopath.

His leverage came via the then-upcoming "Home Alone" sequel, with Macaulay Culkin's father threatening to pull him from the project unless he was cast in "The Good Son." 20th Century Fox acquiesced and fired the boy who had already been cast as Henry, prompting director Michael Lehmann and several others involved with the project to quit. A year later, the movie finally got underway with Culkin in the lead role and director Joseph Ruben overseeing the venture. The result is at once upsetting, fascinating, and sort of ridiculous, which is why you need to watch it on Prime Video immediately.

If seeing Culkin play a twisted child isn't enough to tempt you, the script was written by esteemed British author Ian McEwan, whose 2001 novel "Atonement" was heralded as a modern classic upon its release. "The Good Son" didn't quite garner such acclaim, but once again, its inescapable oddness as a Culkin-led thriller that stemmed from McEwan's mind is what makes it so interesting.