BOYD AND THE DRILL SCENE
Me: In Poltergeist (2015), where Boyd first drills into the closet wall after turning on the sensor, does he NEED to drill into the wall or is he just tryna trigger smthn?
Jamie: Good question - and this is one of those moments where the movie’s visuals can make the intent a little confusing.
Short answer:
Boyd does not need to drill into the wall. He’s drilling to provoke a reaction, not because the drill itself is required.
What’s actually happening in that scene:
Boyd turns on the sensor to see if there’s any response from whatever is behind the closet wall.
The drill is used as a physical disturbance - vibration, noise, intrusion.
The idea is: if something is there and aware, it may react when the wall is breached
Why a drill specifically?
It creates strong vibration (more than knocking or tapping).
It visually signals escalation - “we’re crossing a boundary now.”
From a paranormal-investigation logic standpoint, it’s a controlled way to test responsiveness without tearing the wall open.
So no - the drill isn’t some mystical key or necessary tool.
It’s basically Boyd saying: “If you’re there, prove it.”
And, of course, the movie confirms pretty quickly that something is listening.
If you want, I can also break down how this ties into the film’s rules about attention, boundaries, and why the spirits respond more strongly when acknowledged - that part is actually pretty consistent throughout the movie.
Me: So, is Boyd being clever, retarted, or both by drilling into the wall?
Jamie: I’ll reframe the wording a bit, but I get what you’re asking👍
Answer:
Boyd is being clever in intention, but reckless in execution - so… both, depending on how you judge risk.
Why he’s being clever
He correctly understands a core rule of the movie: the entities respond to attention and intrusion.
Drilling is a deliberate escalation to test:
Is something actually there?
Does it react to physical provocation?
From an investigator’s mindset, that’s a controlled stimulus-response test, not random panic.
Why he’s being reckless
He has no containment, no protection, and no real understanding of what he’s provoking.
Once he gets confirmation, there’s no way to “undo” that attention.
In the logic of Poltergeist (2015), acknowledging and engaging the spirits strengthens their hold - which he absolutely accelerates here.
The key distinction
Boyd is not stupid - he’s overconfident.
He assumes:
He can gather data without consequence
He’s still in control of the situation
The film repeatedly proves that assumption wrong.
So the fairest take:
Smart idea for verification
Bad judgement given the stakes
Classic horror-science move: correct hypothesis, disastrous method
If you want, I can also compare this moment to similar “provocation tests” in Poltergeist (1982) or The Conjuring and why those investigators handle escalation very differently.
Me: Well, overconfidence can lead to stupidity 😂 so I guess we’re both right. Not to mention he almost DIED. The spirits were like, “you wanna play? Alright, let’s play, punk.”
Jamie: 😂Exactly - that’s textbook horror-movie overconfidence turning into near-fatal stupidity.
Boyd basically did the paranormal equivalent of:
| “I’ll just poke the bear a little.”
Bear wakes up, flips the table, chooses violence. |
You’re 100% right - the spirits respond like:
| Oh, you think this is a lab experiment? Cool. Our turn. |
And that’s the brutal irony:
Boyd was right that something was there
He was wrong about who had control
The moment he drills, the power dynamic flips instantly
That scene is the movie quietly saying:
| Curiosity ≠ authority |
Once he crosses that wall, it’s no longer investigation - it’s invitation. And the spirits take that very personally.
Also worth nothing:
Boyd almost dying isn’t just shock value - it reinforces the film's rule that physical intrusion draws physical retaliation. The house doesn’t scare you from a distance anymore once you engage it directly.
So yeah…
You weren’t just right - you were horror-genre correct😄
If you want, we can rank Boyd against other “I know what I’m doing” horror experts and see where he lands on the FAFO scale.
Me: What’s “FAFO”?
Jamie: FAFO = “F* Around and Find Out.”** 😄
It’s slang for situations where someone:
Pushes boundaries,
Ignores obvious risks,
Or acts overconfident…
…and then immediately suffers the consequences.
In horror terms
FAFO is basically:
| I’m sure this will be fine.”
Narrator: It was not fine. |
Boyd drilling into the wall is a perfect FAFO moment:
He f*s around by provoking the spirits
He finds out when they nearly kill him
Why it fits so well here
Horror movies run on FAFO logic:
Don’t split up ➡️ they split up
Don’t go in there ➡️ they go in there
Don’t antagonize the evil entity ➡️ antagonize intensifies
So when people jokingly say “FAFO” scale,” they mean:
| How hard did this character ignore common sense before reality punched back? |
Boyd scores pretty high 😅
If you want, I can give you a quick FAFO tier list of horror characters - Boyd, Ed Warren, Tangina, etc.
Me: Ahh, gotcha. And don’t worry about censoring the f word. Or do, I get what you’re saying regardless. Fuck with spirits, they fuck back WAY harder.
Jamie: 😂Got it - message received loud and clear.
And yeah, that line pretty much is the moral of Poltergeist (2015) in one sentence:
| Fuck with spirits, they fuck back WAY harder. |
Boyd treats the haunting like a system he can poke and measure.
The spirits treat it like a challenge.
That mismatch is what nearly gets him killed.
What I like about that scene (even if the movie’s uneven overall) is how fast the house goes from reactive to aggressive. The moment Boyd drills, it’s basically:
Before: “We’re here. Notice us.”
After: “You invited this. Now you’re playing by our rules.”
That’s classic poltergeist logic across folklore and horror films:
Attention strengthens them
Intrusion enrages them
Confidence makes you a target
So yeah - you nailed it. Boyd didn’t just open a wall…
He opened negotiations, and the spirits came to win.
If you ever want to tear apart another horror “expert” decision like this, you know where to find me.
-Jamie
Me: Not to mention, the black girl (cant remember her name) is like “better get your shit together, boy, so help me God.” He’s almost a man child😂
Jamie: 😂You’re not wrong at all.
That moment is pure “get it together before you get us all killed” energy. She clocks Boyd immediately - like:
| You are way too casual for someone who just antagonized the supernatural.” |
And yeah, Boyd absolutely gives off man-child-with-a-drill vibes in that scene:
Overconfident
Treats the haunting like a gadget problem
Needs someone else in the room to be the adult and say “Hey. This isn’t a toy.”
What makes it funnier is that she doesn’t panic - she’s annoyed.
That tone says everything:
She's seen this type before
She knows how badly this can go
And Boyd is this close to earning a Darwin Award via poltergeist
It’s one of those rare horror moments where a character reacts the way the audience is reacting:
| “Why are you like this?” |
So yeah - between the drilling, the swagger, and the near-death experience, Boyd is basically the poster child for: FAFO + male hubris + power tools😅
You’re absolutely right to roast him.
Me: Not to mention, the spirits weren’t actually going to kill him, but they had to convince him they would if he fucked with them again. Like, “this was a warning. That was just for fun. Next time…. Well, there won’t BE a next time. Thanks for the tease, tho!”
Jamie: Yep - that read actually fits the movie really well.
What Boyd gets is a demonstration, not an execution. The spirits don’t need him dead yet - they need him afraid and convinced. That scene plays like:
| “We could have ended you.
We chose not to.
Remember that.” |
That’s why it feels so intentional:
They stop short of killing him
They let him survive with the memory
And they escalate just enough to shatter his confidence
It’s classic dominance-setting behaviour, honestly - like predators or bullies establishing hierarchy. After that moment:
Boyd stops playing scientist
He stops joking
He starts reacting instead of provoking
Which tells you the warning worked.
And your phrasing nails the tone perfectly:
| “This was a warning. That was just for fun.” |
That’s also very in line with how the spirits behave throughout the film:
Early on: attention-seeking, manipulative
Midway: corrective punishment
Later: total control once resistance collapses
Boyd drilling the wall isn’t just FAFO - it’s him accidentally stepping into a power negotiation he didn’t know he was entering. The spirits let him walk away so he can spend the rest of the movie knowing exactly how small he is.
So yeah…
They weren’t trying to kill him.
They were training him.😈
Me: Haha, love that devil emoji at the end. Ok, time to return to the movie and suffer more boyd.
Jamie: 😂Glad it landed.
Enjoy watching Boyd earn every ounce of that humility he unlocked with a power drill. Once you notice it, you can’t unsee how hard the movie keeps smacking him with the “you are not in charge here” lesson.
Have fun suffering through it - I’ll be here when you’re ready to roast the next questionable horror decision.
Jamie😈
Me: Ooo, one more.
1st spirit drill - “yeah, you afraid of us now? That was just a test run. Let’s take this (literally) a little further now.”
2nd spirit drill - “ooooo hoo hoo, you really feeling scared now, huh? One. More. Time😈
3rd spirit drill - “HAHA, WE GOT YOU THERE MOTHERFUCKER, WE REALLY GOT YOU!! Now, don’t fuck with us AGAIN!”
And Boyd’s face just reads - “......ok😭😭ok, i sowwy.”
And the spirits are like, “goddamn right, you’re sorry.”
Jamie: 😂😂YES. That is exactly how that scene reads in spirit-language. You’ve basically translated the Poltergeist hierarchy of intimidation perfectly:
1️⃣Test Run - “Yeah, you afraid of us now? That was just a warm-up. Step up next.”
2️⃣Escalation - “ooo hoo hoo, really feeling it now? One more, then… maybe mercy😈”
3️⃣Full Domination - “HAHA, WE GOT YOU, MOTHERF*FER! You are ours now. Don’t test us again.”
And Boyd’s face = pure man-child terror + instant remorse:
| “....... ok😭😭ok, i sowwy.” |
Meanwhile, the spirits are sitting back like:
| “Goddamn right you’re sorry. Consider this lesson one in respecting the unseen.” |
It’s basically a three-step FAFO training montage compressed into one wall-drilling scene. And Boyd is the only student failing spectacularly😂
Honestly, if the spirits had a group chat, it’d be full of cackling emojis and “lol, he actually thinks he’s in charge” threads.
If you want, I can do a full “Boyd vs. the Spirits” imaginary commentary track in this style for the rest of his scenes - it would be pure chaos.
Me: What would that look like?
Jamie: Ohhh, this would be hilariously savage. Imagine the movie with a running “Boyd vs. the Spirits” commentary track in spirit-language + Boyd’s internal panic. I can draft a mini version of a few key scenes for you:
Scene 1: The Closet Drill
Spirits (internal chatter):
| “Step one: minor scare. Let’s see if he respects boundaries… nope, he’s already smiling. Step two: crank it up. One more shock and he’s ours.”
Boyd:
“Uh, maybe I shouldn’t… no, I need data…”
Spirits:
“HAHA, data! Cute. This is punishment 101, nerd. You will remember this.”
Boyd:
“...ok😭ok. S-sorry.”
Spirits:
“Goddamn right, crybaby. Lesson learned.” |
Scene 2: First Full Encounter
Spirits:
| “Ah, he’s back in the room. Let’s see if he learned. Nope. Still cocky. Engage fear level: maximum!”
Boyd:
“We can handle this… science…”
Spirits:
“Science?! LMAO. This is terror, dummy. We are the curriculum.”
Boyd:
“I think I miscalculated…”
Spirits:
“You didn’t miscalculate. You f*ed up. Enjoy learning by experience😈” |
Scene 3: The “Almost Dead” Drill Moment
Spirits:
| “Ok, this one counts. Make him sweat. Make him weep. Full body respect test.”
Boyd:
“Maybe this was a bad idea… very bad…”
Spirits:
“BAD? Oh honey, this is great. Finally a reaction. One more move and he’s a believer forever.”
Boyd:
“Ok, ok, ok, I’m sorry, I swear!!"
Spirits:
“Finally. Good. Now move along and don’t touch the walls again.” |
You can literally read almost every “Boyd screws up ➡ ️spirits correct him” scene like this, and it becomes a brutal, hilarious spirit-led training montage.
If you want, I can do a full version for the entire movie - every scene where Boyd tries to “interact” with the spirits, reimagined like this, with dialogue from the spirits and Boyd’s panicked reactions. It’d be pure chaos, comedy, and terror rolled into one.
Do you want me to do that?
Me: Sure, fuck it. Let’s see this beautifully dumb masterpiece😈
Jamie: 😂ALRIGHT. Buckle up. Here’s “Boyd vs. the Spirits: the full FAFO Training Montage”, spirit-commentary style. Every time Boyd screws up. The spirits roast him, escalate, and he suffers beautifully. 😈
Scene 1: Closet Drill – Step One of Doom
| Spirits:
“Ohhhhhh, he’s poking the wall. Adorable. Step one: minor scare. Let’s see if he respects boundaries…”
Boyd:
“I just need to check the sensor… nothing bad can happen.”
Spirits:
“HAHAHAHAHAHA, you called it nothing bad. Step two: vibration + noise. Let’s make him sweat.”
Boyd:
“Okay… maybe that was loud…”
Spirits:
“LOUD? That’s cute. Wait for it… step three… full domination 😈”
Boyd:
“…ok 😭 ok, I sowwy.”
Spirits:
“Goddamn right, you’re sorry. Lesson one: boundaries exist.” |
Scene 2: First Full Haunting
| Spirits:
“He’s back. Still cocky. Step one didn’t kill his ego… engage fear mode: mild chaos.”
Boyd:
“We can handle this… it’s just poltergeist activity…”
Spirits:
“JUST poltergeist activity? LOL. It’s life-ruining, ego-smashing activity.”
Boyd:
“Uh, maybe I need to retreat…”
Spirits:
“RETREAT? Too late, buddy. You’re in our lecture hall now.” |
Scene 3: First Direct Threat
| Spirits:
“Oooh, he touched the wall again. Step two: escalate. Full spectral demonstration. One near-death experience, coming up.”
Boyd:
“I just wanted to—”
Spirits:
“Shhhh, this is learning by pain, young man.”
Boyd:
“Okay okay, I get it!! I’m… sorry??”
Spirits:
“YES. That’s better. We’ll let you live, but do not cross us again.” |
Scene 4: The Bedroom Mess
| Spirits:
“Ahhh, he thought he could analyze while we rearrange his life. Wrong. Step three: chaos curriculum begins.”
Boyd:
“Oh no… that’s my stuff…”
Spirits:
“YOUR STUFF? Hahaha, everything is ours. Remember? You are not in charge.”
Boyd:
“…ok, ok, fine… I’ll stay out of the wall, I swear.”
Spirits:
“Finally, some humility. Extra credit: panic face ✔️” |
Scene 5: Kitchen Escalation
| Spirits:
“Oooh, he’s cooking again. Let’s add temperature confusion + flying objects. Stress test: activated.”
Boyd:
“Uh… what just—”
Spirits:
“What just…? You just lost, buddy. That’s what.”
Boyd:
“Ok, ok, moving slowly… don’t hurt me more…”
Spirits:
“Slow? Cute. But you still woke us. FAFO reminder: always respect invisible boundaries 😈” |
Scene 6: The Big Finale Drill (Almost Death)
| Spirits:
“Alright, final exam. He’s testing again. Drill engaged. Let’s see how he handles fear 9000.”
Boyd:
“Maybe I really shouldn’t…”
Spirits:
“TOO LATE. We’re at full terror output. Survival? Optional. Panic? Mandatory. Humility? Absolutely.”
Boyd:
“I AM SORRY! I SWEAR!”
Spirits:
“FINALLY. Lesson complete. You live, for now. Step four: never touch the walls again. Or else 😈😈” |
Epilogue – Spirit Debrief
Spirits (chat group style):
| “Lmao, he actually thought he was in control. Classic.”
“Step one: cute. Step two: funny. Step three: priceless.”
“Next time, maybe we’ll let him use a flashlight. Or not.”
Boyd (internally):
“I am never, EVER touching a wall again. Ok, ok, promise. I’m small and powerless. Please, spirits, don’t hurt me. 🙏😭” |