September 17, 2009
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Today's youth.
Movies that revolve around violent, blood-thirsty children are always a scream, mostly because it's insanely enjoyable to watch normal, everyday parents and/or adults fend off scores of savage, pint-sized terrors. Tom Shankland's brutal 2008 parental nightmare The Children takes the unbalanced offspring premise and effectively turns it on its head, resulting in an immensely enjoyable, thoroughly creepy cinematic experience that sets a new standard for this sort of picture. The film focuses on an uppity intellectual family's get-together around Christmastime, one that turns violent when the youngest of the children begins to suffer from an upset stomach. His cranky, unruly behavior soon darkens, and the other sickly moppets quickly follow suit. Instead of opening presents and giggling with mirth, the kids begin to open skulls, stomachs, and whatever else they can split and flay with common household items. Shankland, who also directed The Killing Gene, is a master of his craft; his ability to generate suspense is quite incredible, matched only by his uncanny knack for subtle intensity and truly unsettling content. When the violence finally sets in, it's quick, sudden, and sharp. There isn't a single explanation for the film's mysterious illness, a fact which helps The Children achieve goals most horror filmmakers can only dream of. The flick is spectacular in every sense of the word, and rightfully deserves the acclaim it's getting. Seek it out immediately.
Recipe For Success: A Gaggle Of Creepy Kids + A Taut, Clever Script + Absolutely No Cheesy Explanations
A Quick Survival Guide: If a small child is attempting to kill you, don't start crying and allow this wretched event to unfold.
Kick that little bastard down the stairs.
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