Directed by Tom Shankland
Review based upon the E1 Entertainment Blu-Ray Release
Having been very impressed with Tom Shankland’s first movie “WAZ” iin 2007, I had high expectations for this film when I read about it over 9 months ago. When I heard a few weeks later that the flick was not getting a widespread theatrical release and was instead being almost sent directly to DVD, I started to become worried. The fact is, I needn’t have been. “The Children” is an out-and-out classic, fusing themes from such greats as “Invasion of the Bodysnatchers”, “Don’t Look Now” and “Village of the Damned” whilst at the same time giving the picture a unique and formidably creepy feel which stays in the mind long after the credits have rolled.
The film opens at New Year, with Elaine (Eva Birthistle) and her husband Jonah (Stephen Campbell Moore) visiting her older sister for some festivities. This complex family unit consists of three children: the older teenage daughter Casey (Hannah Tointon), young special needs boy Paulie (William Howes), and difficult young daughter Miranda (Eva Sayer). Aside from Paulie the other two children are from previous relationships, and Shankland spends the first 40 minutes exploring the tensions of this dynamic only to literally tear it apart for the second half of the film. Elaine’s sister Chloe (Rachel Shelley) is also married with two children, and as each child starts behaving more strangely and aggressively towards the adults, fingers are pointed as tensions bubble to the surface. Could it really be that these innocents are responsible for the events that begin to unfold?
“The Children” is one of the most unsettling experiences I have had since “[REC]”, and I found myself whooping and wincing through every twist and turn. Shankland (who writes as well as directs here) knows one thing very clearly; how to create unnerving tension which never eases. He achieves this through using some incredible shots (filmed in a s
now-bound remote setting the film has a wonderful sense of scope) and deliberately protracted sequences to wring every last drop of sweat from his audience. The sequence where Elaine approaches the tent where some of the children are hiding is a fantastic example of this, with long low angles and virtual silence on screen to set the nerves jangling.Another plus with a film that was clearly low budget (although it doesn’t show it thanks to some beautiful imagery throughout) is the acting. Some inspired casting choices really do add to the realism of the flick, the young cast being particularly brilliant in their demanding roles. There is nothing more unsettling than seeing a child of 5 or 6 behaving the way that some of these youngsters act on screen, and while the whole premise of this movie rests on the performances of the children themselves, they are thankfully nothing less than terrifying. Special mention has to go to Hannah Tointon as Casey, who does a fantastic job of turning an initially unsympathetic character into someone we all care about.
One of the most outstanding things about “The Children” (and almost certainly the reason why this movie didn’t get a widespread theatrical release) is that it addresses a controversial taboo; could you kill a child to save your own life, and what if that child was your own? In the hands of anyone else this would’ve probably been reduced to something pointless, but Shankland never shies away from this notion, handling a potentially inflammatory subject deftly and respectfully. He also poses far more questions than he answers, never explaining all the details and therefore giving the audience an opportunity to make up their own minds. This sign of respect is very rare within a horror film, and says a great deal about Shankland’s love of the genre.
At points I was finding it very hard to believe that I was watching a ‘15’ rated horror film; this has some of the hardest imag
ery I’ve seen in some time, heightened by the fact that you actually care about each character. After all, when was the last time you can remember rooting for the stroppy teenage daughter? The first act of violence in this picture comes with an inspired payoff, where the impact of the event is delayed by several minutes to lull the viewer into a false sense of security. Combine this with a sequence that has left me afraid of crayons ever since, and you have a movie that shocks and thrills in equal measure.“The Children” is a showpiece for horror filmmaking, executed in a style that Hitchcock himself would be proud of. Challenging, shocking, bloody and cerebral in equal measure, this picture deserves to be seen by anyone who has an interest in cinema as Tom Shankland is clearly a talent to watch. Here he is at the top of his game, creating a flick that looks beautiful and plays with absolute conviction in what it’s attempting to achieve. Inspired and unique, this is a movie that will almost certainly become a classic through recommendation and word of mouth. So, tell your friends to see “The Children”… before they see you first!
10 out of 10
British horror at it's very best... miss this at your peril!
