Theatrical Review: The Children
The Children (2008)
Studio: Vertigo Distribution Ltd
UK Theatrical Release Date: December 5, 2008
Directed By: Tom Shankland
Cast: Eva Birthistle, Stephen Campbell Moore, Rafiella Brooks, Jake Hathaway, Hannah Tointon
Brutal As Hell Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Review By: Benjamin Bussey
When some British thirtysomethings get away from it all in an idyllic woodland hideaway, the last thing they expect is to be terrorised by kids, but… er… hang about. Déjà vu. Didn’t I just review this film about three months ago? Wasn’t it called Eden Lake? Well, not quite. On paper it would be exceedingly easy to confuse Tom Shankland’s cinematic sophomore effort (following 2007’s Waz, which I’ve yet to see) with James Watkins’ hoodies-from-hell chiller, and considering that they’re two of the highest profile horror films to come out of Britain in 2008 it’s very hard to avoid making comparisons. But while there are undeniable conceptual and stylistic similarities, there are still some significant differences. Most notably, where Eden Lake’s antagonists were teenagers, the little terrors of The Children are even younger; while Eden Lake’s teens were perfect strangers to the unsuspecting out-of-towners, in this film they are considerably closer to home; and where Eden Lake centred on a couple, The Children brings in the whole family, as a middle class husband and wife (Moore, Birthistle) bring their toddler, tween and teen out to visit their aunt, uncle and cousins for New Year at their desirable residence in the country. But while the grown-ups get caught up in chatter, wine and family politics, they fail to notice that something odd seems to be happening with the little ones. And soon enough, strange little ‘accidents’ start happening…
I promise, after this paragraph I’ll stop drawing parallels with Eden Lake unless I really can’t help it; but one thing that Eden Lake only touched on briefly was the question of parental influence and responsibility, which seems to be the central theme here. While ostensibly well meaning and providing their kids with all manner of psychologist-approved neurological stimulation and encouragement, both sets of parents are too caught up in their own concerns to really see what’s going on until things really turn bad. And even then, they allow old prejudices and steadfast assumptions to blindside them, either refusing or unable to accept the horrible truth: that their own children are trying to kill them. Caught in the middle figuratively and literally is moody eldest daughter Casey (Tointon), anxious to break out on her own but laboured with a degree of grown-up responsibility as well. Still making the transition from childhood to adulthood (raising interesting questions about just what constitutes maturity), she is forced to stand alone when she is the only one to recognise what is happening.
That said, while Casey may have some understanding of the situation, this doesn’t mean the audience necessarily will. Just what is happening to the children is never spelled out in black and white; we’re never sure if it’s a sickness, something supernatural, or just a case of the kids being insane. Indeed, Shankland’s direction leaves a great deal to the imagination, relaying much of the action via facial reactions rather than clearly showing what is going on. I think it’s safe to assume this was done primarily to due to the age of the antagonists - a keenness to avoid emphasising kids either maiming or being maimed, which is understandable to a degree - but the overall result is that many of the key scare sequences are highly disorientating, leaver the viewer uncertain as to what they have witnessed. It’s an interesting stylistic choice, but one that I suspect will put a lot of people off; while there are a few graphic moments, lovers of gore are likely to be frustrated.
And to be honest, I doubt it’ll only be gorehounds who are likely to be underwhelmed by The Children. It’s a peculiar film that falls awkwardly between horror conventions, blending elements of psychological ghost story with slasher on top of kitchen sink drama. Ambiguity abounds on pretty much every level (narrative, aesthetic, and thematic), and that can be a hard sell. By attempting to explore adult, adolescent and infant issues with near-equal emphasis, it feels a little lacking in focus at times, particularly once the family concerns inevitably fall by the wayside toward the end; a shame, as it must be said that the character based family drama is handled far more skillfully than the scares. Still, The Children is an interesting if not entirely successful attempt at doing something a little different with kids in horror.
And as a lecherous footnote – let me just say in closing, while it’s feasible that not everything about the film will grab you, if you’re in any way attracted to Emo girls in tiny denim skirts and thigh length nylons then you will find something to enjoy. Don’t worry, IMDB says Hannah Tointon is 21.
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