The Many Faces of Evil: The Good Son

The question of human nature and the facets of evil present itself numerous times in the captivating movie, “The Good Son”. This psychological thriller exceeds an audience’s expectation to the portrayal of childhood psychiatric disorders. The main antagonist is Henry, a manipulative and conniving thirteen-year-old boy, who exhibits myriad symptoms and characteristics of the DSM-IV-TR standards of conduct disorder with callous unemotional traits. Henry’s conduct disorder is exhibited through his age-inappropriate actions and attitudes that violate family expectations, societal norms, acts of vandalism, and aggressive acts that involve inflicting pain on others.

Unfortunately, the movie negates to explain the onset of Henry’s symptoms therefore it is uncertain if his condition is childhood onset or adolescent-onset CD. However, if the audience were to assume that the symptoms first appeared after the age of 10, Henry’s condition would be diagnosed as childhood-onset CD. Of the four criteria of the DSM-IV-TR standards for CD, Henry exhibits two: destruction of property and aggression to people and animals. Henry exemplifies destruction of property other than by fire setting when he leads Mark into a warehouse where he consequently begins throwing rocks at the windows. When a worker at the warehouse confronts the boys, Henry lacks feelings of remorse or guilt and proceeds to run away.

One of the subtypes under aggression to people and animals is the act of bullying, threatening, or intimidating others. The audience is originally introduced to Henry when his cousin Mark first arrives at his house. When Mark is introduce to the rest of the family, Henry lets out a playful scream while donning a white handmade mask in an attempt to st...

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