Bad movies come in different flavors. Some are fun and "good" in their own way, some are just unwatchable. And among the good bad movies, some, like those of Ed Wood are inept across the board - while some are well made on a technical level, but fail miserably in other aspects. THE PAPERBOY, falls into the latter category.
There is nothing wrong with the production values of the film as far as made-for-cable movies go. The cinematography and such are all fine. However, the screenplay is quite simple minded and borrows from every other psycho-in-the-home movie from THE BAD SEED to THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE. The dialog also includes a number of howler one-liners like, "Have you given Peaches his weenies?!" So the movie hasn't a chance to develop any real drama or tension.
You do get a wonderful, energetic performance from Marc Marut as Johnny. I don't know if you could call his character likable, but I did find myself watching his shenanigans with interest. His character, aside from being violent, is a sad little underdog. He has no friends, poor social skills, and a douchebag golf-loving dad who leaves him to fend for himself most of the time. His character certainly garners more sympathy than the mother character he obsesses over. She is a teacher in what appears to be a school in a low-income neighborhood in Boston, so you would think she would have more sympathy for a kid with a disadvantaged background, treating him with more tact and sensitivity than she does. Not to mention that she should have thought to call a social worker LONG before she did.
In all, as far as junk cable movies go, this one is well worth watching, if you like that sort of thing - like I do.