With an endless supply of horror movies dripping from the
four corners of the world, it’s refreshing to spend a night cowering behind the
sofa with one of our own. Tom Shankland (Waz) writes and directs The Children,
a creepy horror tale based on a story by Paul Andrew Williams (The Cottage),
and starring a familiar line up of British TV stars including Stephen Campbell
Moore (Ashes To Ashes) and Hannah Tointon (Hollyoaks).
Two families gather for New Year festivities out in the
sticks, but what starts out as a relaxing vacation turns into a vicious fight
for survival as the children are taken ill and develop a taste for murder. The
bizarre illness causes the children to lash out at their parents in destructive
ways, and the families are forced to turn on each other in order to stay alive.
The first act reels the viewer in with subtle hints of
impending doom. The parents aren’t particularly likeable though, which is a
shame, because it’s hard to care for a group of characters whose only concern
is the contents of the drinks cabinet. It soon becomes clear that something’s
not right with those pesky kids, but only troubled teen Casey is capable of
working things out, and as you would expect in a film of this nature, it’s not
as if anyone is going to believe her anyway. Especially considering the sexual
tension building between uncle and niece.
The performances are wobbly from time to time, but what the
children lack in range they make up for in cold blank stares, sinister silence
and all round creepiness. Scary children are a hallmark of classic horror and
the little brats here are a worthy addition to the creepy collective. Once the
film gathers pace it rarely lets up. Some of the death scenes are incredibly
inventive and the film as a whole is very well staged. There’s a hint of Final
Destination in the first elaborate death scene but we're also treated to a
welcome dose of tension, torture and titillating terror as the children stalk
and slash with colourful creation.
Shankland’s The Children is the latest in a long line of
horror movies that fully endorses the bleak, grisly, misery induced ending made
popular by Eden Lake, The Strangers and [REC]. I for one am getting tired of
horror movies ending on a downer, I’d like to see a little more payback Laurie
Strode-style, thank you very much. Having said that, I did find myself punching
the air when some of the children got their comeuppance. Which just goes to
show how affecting Tom Shankland’s latest horror movie really is.
The Children isn’t without fault and the lack of closure
will put many viewers off. As will the unsatisfactory story at its heart, the
occasional acting blip and an over familiar use of horror convention. That
seems harsh though. Despite the occasional blemish, The Children is a
disturbing, inventive and highly enjoyable thriller from England, and how often
do we get to say that? AW
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