The Children (2008)
Who doesn’t have ambivalent feelings about kids? The Children reinforces the unspoken sense that children are creepy because on a basic level we can’t understand them. Some sisters and husbands and sons and daughters all get together for the holidays on a secluded, snowed-in estate. Right from the beginning, the kids are surly, vomiting, and bratty. Ever sat down for your flight and you hear a child start screaming, and you’re filled with dread? That’s this movie’s mood. After a long period of suspense, it becomes clear that the children are infected with something that makes them feral or homicidal—the cat goes missing, and the kids are trying to make their parents sled into sharp objects. The uncomfortable domestic dramas of the characters start getting in the way of the honest-to-goodness life and death situations. There’s something deeply upsetting about a child who could kill you but also needs to be held.
The movie is a fairly realistic portrayal of family drama, which sells what might be hard to buy at face value: killer kids. But they’re just kids, right? Okay, maybe something’s wrong with some kids, but not my kid, right? Even if there is something wrong, I can’t hurt my child, right? Their perceived innocence makes it hard for anyone to deal with the imminent danger, which would be easy to take care of otherwise; the little snots are like two feet tall and can’t run for shit. Husbands and wives, parents and kids, it’s all messy, and here the messiness includes getting stabbed in the eye with a crayon. There’s also a moody goth teenager in the mix who doesn’t fit into any category. The end, though spooky, brings more questions than answers. This film is filled with British stars American viewers have never heard of, which might add a sense of the uncanny for some of us. If you’re looking for a grounded drama that swings to a ridiculous murder rampage, or if you’re just looking for something a little different, The Children is a forgotten gem. 3 out of 5 sacs of blood.
—Steve Roberts