Little Horrors
The Children is the second British horror movie this year using the previously untapped fear potential of the under sixteens. But whilst Eden Lake put its Kate Ashfield-a-like heroine in a ripped-from-the-fever-dream-of-the-Daily-Mail battle with delinquent hoodies, The Children skews a little younger. And whilst it is true that small children have the ability to be remarkably creepy (see Poltergeist, The Shining, Look Who’s Talking) it is less clear if they can be actually menacing. The Children has a good stab at turning its little horrors into actual horrors, but has to rely on a little bit too much coincidence and adult irrationality in the process.
The scenario is a New Years Eve party in a winter cottage. The unseasonal half inch snow cover gives the film its excuse for no police involvement. While it is true that in the UK we cannot deal with even the smallest amount of snow, this looks pathetic and was probably a dud continuity decisions. more »
Pete Baran in FT • 2 Comments
