Nerds That Geek Documentary Review – ‘Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Mask’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the documentary feature, ‘Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Mask’.
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One thing that we can all agree upon, is that we have a tendency to view celebrities in a vastly different light than other people in the world. In fact, it is safe to say that we put them on an outright pedestal, and it makes sense as to why. Because a fair number of celebrities, are able to accomplish wonders on the silver screen or through music or art and seeing what they can do with seemingly minimal effort blows us away and leave us in awe of their talent. But while there is a great deal of people who are genuinely moved by what the famous can do and find inspiration from it, there are others who see celebrities in a genuinely negative light. For they believe that worship of a person in any capacity is wrong and that idolizing them detracts attention away from more pressing issues.

But regardless of which side you fall on, the fact of the matter is, celebrities are human beings, and they go through the same stuff as the rest of us and it is their talents and their work ethic that deserves our awe, since we can learn so much from that. Thankfully, more people are starting to recognize that. Which is why documentaries are starting to focus on the person, so we can properly spotlight and understand what makes a celebrity stand above the rest in their field and inspire us in the process. And it just so happens that Shudder is now home to a quality documentary that offers up that kind of objective and powerful examination of a true horror icon in Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Mask.

For this is a documentary that genuinely deconstructs the life of Boris Karloff and his career and it does so in such a manner that you are left walking away from this feature with a better understanding of what kind of person Boris was and what drove him to be the best he could be on the silver and small screen, and the stage for that matter as well, and the work that went into becoming the icon he is today. And it is his humble beginnings that built the foundation for his work ethic, since his youth put him in a place where he wasn’t really seen or close to his mother and father and that gave him a desire and a freedom to see the world and find his niche and of course, it didn’t take long for Boris to discover his love of acting and that’s really when the work ethic in question was formed.

Because Boris put himself through the professional wringer in the hopes of finding success and after toiling away as a bit villain player, he finally had his chance to spring to stardom by becoming the on-screen version of Frankenstein and the rest as they say… is history. But what matters more about this documentary, is that it goes beyond the impact that Frankenstein had upon Boris’ life to focus upon his passion for acting and how much it meant to him to turn in a powerful performance regardless of whether or not the role in question was ‘quality’ or going to be seen by the masses. Which means that Boris Karloff was nothing short of a consummate professional, one that even made sure to give us his all and his very best at his lowest points.

Since there are stories in this documentary about how he would push himself to provide a stunning performance when he required oxygen from his emphysema or was in pain from his ailing back and that level of dedication to every role, speaks volumes to how he much he loved acting and how he truly believed that perfection could be achieved in a scene with the right effort and preparation. Which helps us to truly understand his standing as a horror and acting icon. Since now we know how deep his talent went and how he honed his craft throughout the years and deserved the applause he’d receive on set. Because but a handful could do it as well as Boris could. But what’s truly amazing is that those very moments of inspiration, such as watching him just nail a three-minute monologue in a single take… are also what help to demystify his icon status.

For we also come to learn a great deal about his fears during his career. Such as how he was close to fading into oblivion before Universal discovered his unique talents, and how that scared him. Or how the middle part of his career was stagnant and worrisome, since there was genuine concern that typecasting was going to bore him out of the industry since he was no longer being challenged, and being privy to those moments, really does accomplish that aforementioned mission. Because here, we see… the man, not the icon. A man that had fears and doubts like the rest of us and aspired to be more in his dream field and that’s relatable and powerful and supremely humbling to learn. Since it does remind us that folks like Boris aren’t magicians or bestowed with some kind of magical gift none of us will ever understand.

They’re just people. People that came to realize that if they truly dedicated every ounce of effort to their craft, they could be the best in their field, or masters like Boris if they continued along and that lesson… makes this a stunningly powerful documentary. Since it actually manages to challenge the viewer and ask them if they’ve done enough with what they want out of life. But most important of all, it celebrates a life. One that managed to impact so many people through genuine passion and a desire to achieve perfection and being able to look at Boris’ career in a beautifully objective and honest manner and walk away from this with a newfound understanding of what it really takes to achieve one’s dream… makes this documentary an absolute must-see. Simply because it presents a true icon in the proper light, as a powerhouse professional whose ability to overcome doubt and roadblocks… allowed for him to cement his standing as an outright legend of the industry. One that still inspires us to this day.  

‘Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Mask’ is available to stream right now, on Shudder.

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