The Children (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeff "

  
  The Children is one terrific horror film. The film has a very original story, and keeps the viewer intrigued. The mood is dark with a sense of helplessness. The Children is well acted, directed and told film that is much welcomed breath of fresh air in a tired out genre. The horror of… More
  The Children is one terrific horror film. The film has a very original story, and keeps the viewer intrigued. The mood is dark with a sense of helplessness. The Children is well acted, directed and told film that is much welcomed breath of fresh air in a tired out genre. The horror of this film is unrelentingly brutal as the gore is realistic and The Children are terrifying.. The film doesn't lose time as the pacing of the film is very well thought out, and it doesn't lose time to build it's horror and tension, it goes straight to the point and doesn't slow down. A brutal horror film, The Children will definitely scare you and is a blast to watch. A terrific original idea makes this film one of the best horror films in the last few years. The film has a good cast of actors, and the kids that portray these diabolical kids are superb, they really are convincing and just despicable, which is what the filmmakers were trying to accomplish. I love films like an idea like this, because really who would've though that murderous children would make for a good idea for a film. But it did, and the results are stunning. The Children is a terrific, and terrifying horror film, and it proves that the British are still able to turn out effective, creative and above all terrifying horror films.

• Dead A

  
  The starting was okay. Couldn't understand a lot of stuffs. Like why the hell those children start killing their parents? Honestly I hate to be confused.

• Bruce B

  
  Big time excellent film, part of the Ghost House Underground Collection for 2009. Children are somehow infected with a virus and turn on there parents and start killing them, some excellent slasher scenes, I knew rug rats were a danger. This film will make you look twice at the little… More
  Big time excellent film, part of the Ghost House Underground Collection for 2009. Children are somehow infected with a virus and turn on there parents and start killing them, some excellent slasher scenes, I knew rug rats were a danger. This film will make you look twice at the little suckers. A good fright night film to add to your collection for a saturday get together, 4 Stars

• jd c

  
  Slow build up, but always tense (and never dull), to a frightening bang of chilling circumstances. It's a film of a virus, and who's the infected?...the children! Of course no other would be as scary as these little evil fuckers. Spurts of bloody violence throughout, not… More
  Slow build up, but always tense (and never dull), to a frightening bang of chilling circumstances. It's a film of a virus, and who's the infected?...the children! Of course no other would be as scary as these little evil fuckers. Spurts of bloody violence throughout, not redundant, but just enough red to please. This movie is fascinatingly chilling. A must see for any horror fan. It's indeed one of the best horror films of 2008!

• Emily A

  
  This movie was not as good as it could have been. I was quite disappointed. It's as though the director has pinpointed a few cinematic devices that can be used to frighten an audience, and sought to compile them into a film as quickly as he could. All his devices work of course,… More
  This movie was not as good as it could have been. I was quite disappointed. It's as though the director has pinpointed a few cinematic devices that can be used to frighten an audience, and sought to compile them into a film as quickly as he could. All his devices work of course, but they don't fit into the movie itself very well. He uses violent quick cuts to create tension, without realizing that if you do your jarring splices too quickly , it makes what is actually happening onscreen unclear. He;s also fond of rapid-fire quick cuts between two or more scenes or carnage, while allowing the audience to ake sense of none of them. I think that instead of the horror coming from that, it should have been generated by the relationships between the characters: the tension surrounding the teenaged daughter who's bitter about being made to endure a weekend with her family, the parents' unwillingness to believe that thier kids are capable of gruesome violence (and desire to protect them from the images of bloodshed that they themselves have wrought), and the tension between the parents was an excellent source of dread for a horror film. That was the element in this film that was genuinely creeping me out, but the filmmaker instead chose to focus on trying to startle the audience, which I thought was such a waste.

• _kelly .

  
  This is formulaic horror, but classy formulaic horror. It doesn't rely on jumpscares or poorly done tributes to classic kills, but instead relies on the score and frequent "fill in the blank" cuts and shots. I don't know how the pedestrian viewer will react to… More
  This is formulaic horror, but classy formulaic horror. It doesn't rely on jumpscares or poorly done tributes to classic kills, but instead relies on the score and frequent "fill in the blank" cuts and shots. I don't know how the pedestrian viewer will react to the gory violence against children, if it will truly disgust them and work on that level as it is intended to. Being a seasoned gorehound, I'm not too shocked by any simulated violence even if it is against children. For me, the film succeeds because the kids are creepy and devilish little bastards that I don't mind seeing killed. Even before the kids start being affected by the "killing germ", they are thoroughly torturous to the ears and would raise anxiety and annoyance levels in anyone who has experienced long bouts of shrilly kids cavorting about in a small space. There are of course some minor plotholes in the form of questionable character actions leading to injury (but few horror can get by without doing this), but it doesn't overall ruin the sense of panic created during this secluded family gathering. Some highlights: there is a beautiful crane tracking shot over the blood trails where the children have dragged their father's body from the site of the accident to their play tent. Once inside the tent, we discover that his daughter has been up to some impressive displays of effects as a doll has been lodged in his freshly opened abdomen. The kid forcibly impaled on the splintered door is surprisingly gory and effective considering the film's earlier tendency to cut away from the gory bits. All of the shots of blood on snow are amazing. The sound effects design is great and totally outdoes the score. The lead women are good at conveying a sense of panic, of demonstrating motherly instinct to protect their kids, even when those kids are trying to kill them. The end was predictable, but quite eerie. In the end, a recommend for people looking for a better than usual horror flick to pass the night during a family gathering on a snowy holiday after you've put your little bastards to bed.

• Brian D

  
  review soon

• Jacob P

  
  The greatest horror film about "kids being bad and going on a killing spree" ever. Tons of very disturbing\frightening scenes filled with blood and gore, throughout. Very good horror flick.

• Ryan M

  
  5.8/10 After enduring the crap that was released by Ghost House: Underground, "The Children" is refreshing reminder that there is still some essential decency in this world. While certainly not perfect, and I don't even know if it's particularly… More
  5.8/10 After enduring the crap that was released by Ghost House: Underground, "The Children" is refreshing reminder that there is still some essential decency in this world. While certainly not perfect, and I don't even know if it's particularly "good", "The Children" is still crafty, ambitious, and visually impressive filmmaking that will charm its way into several horror enthusiast's DVD collections. I'm an admirer of horror films, which is why I was able to enjoy a film like this one. The semi-imaginative and entertaining kills, as well as the crafty-bastard editing, are very good indeed. The characters and story; not so much. While this film is all that it wants to be, and while it is still better than most "children-fun-amuck" films I've seen, it falls short of the awesomeness that it probably could have been. The film is a low-budget film from Britain that I would tell most non-horror fans to skip, and some horror fans to see. I can't say I recommend it, but I admire it; most certainly. And anyone who thinks this film is utter crap cannot call themselves a horror fan, although neither can anyone who "loves it". Win-win. The film's plot is nothing more than this: a family goes to their kin's home for Christmas, hoping for a fun time, and find themselves a lot more than they expected when some sort of virus spreads to all the children, causing them to become murderous little bastards of destruction. That is what they want to be, and that is what they are; weapons of destruction. The problem with this is a lack of characterization. I have the same problem with many films involving anything that hacks, slashes, and kills its way through various human life-forms, but I guess they can't all be winners. This film, on a level of characters and story-telling, is weak. Bland, bland, bland, bland, bland; but only if you look at it from that angle, and that angle only. I was able to be entertained by this film because in terms of indie filmmaking, it's quite impressive. Of course, I don't think it will be remembered; it does not deserve this. But compared to the disgusting, revolting, offensive crap that it could have been, it is rather harmless. However, aside from the excellent visuals, editing, and solid scare tactics; the film doesn't have enough uniqueness and ideas to offer. It's not the most original film, and it doesn't need to be. Nor does it want to be. However, if horror is your genre, then I think it's worth seeing. If not, then it's just not worth your time. Me, I kind of enjoyed myself; when the movie wasn't being boring, lacking all humanity and story-telling substance. It's atmospheric and at times chilling, but I do like me a good psychopathic children-killing-adults movie. This is not exactly the movie I was looking for. However, if you want to see an emo Brit, then now's your chance. Like I said, I don't "recommend" this film, per se, but there's something I admire about it. I don't have a problem with "The Children", it's just that you'd expect a movie such as this one to be better. But hey: at least it's not "Offspring", another Ghost House DVD release. THAT movie was shit. "The Children", while only on the good side of decent, can't really be called bad unless you have the attention span of a chimpanzee. Otherwise, smooth, but sadly decent sailing. Take it as you will.

• Daniel P

  
  A potentially controversial subject for a horror film (children turned homicidal from a mysterious virus, go after their parents, who in turn have to try and decide whether they should fight back), that isn't quite chilling enough to be a successful scare-flick, or… More
  A potentially controversial subject for a horror film (children turned homicidal from a mysterious virus, go after their parents, who in turn have to try and decide whether they should fight back), that isn't quite chilling enough to be a successful scare-flick, or tongue-in-cheek enough to be funny or campy, resulting in an uneven tone. <i>The Children</i> also pulls a couple of its punches (the blood-letting is infrequent and mostly relies on sound effects, the ending is gutless), and the acting is mediocre. A large amount of the dialogue also appears to have been re-recorded in post-production, which is rather distracting. What keeps things interesting are the characters: just the right shades of sympathetic and annoying, so that you simultaneously want the adults to get their comeuppance whilst willing them on to deck the little buggers that manipulate them. B-movie stuff, and pretty forgettable at that, but worth a watch.

• Adam M

  
  Decent Brit horror. When two families meet for the new year things take a twisted turn when the children turn mental and start attacking everyone! This has some great gore moments and tension and the answers to why the kids lose it is hinted at a few times during the film giving it a… More
  Decent Brit horror. When two families meet for the new year things take a twisted turn when the children turn mental and start attacking everyone! This has some great gore moments and tension and the answers to why the kids lose it is hinted at a few times during the film giving it a slighly deeper, creepier feel. Worth a look and if you hate kids already you'll have proof of their evilness after this!

• Nick G

  
  This movie is certainly not without its flaws, but I really enjoyed it. 4-stars may be kind of high given some of the issues, but what was unique and done well makes it worth the effort. So I'll call it 3.5 stars + 0.5 for good measure. The movie surrounds a family that meets… More
  This movie is certainly not without its flaws, but I really enjoyed it. 4-stars may be kind of high given some of the issues, but what was unique and done well makes it worth the effort. So I'll call it 3.5 stars + 0.5 for good measure. The movie surrounds a family that meets up over Christmas vacation. A husband and wife, with three children, meet up with the wife's sister and husband and her two children at their home in the mountains?/country. This is one of the first problems I had with the movie, is it took too long to figure out the whos and whys surrounding the characters, everything was thrown together, and felt you had to plod through too much to figure things out. A lot (character wise) is also rushed and left undeveloped and unexplained. Another problem surrounding the characters was the stereotypical biases. The "liberal" star-system tree hugging family vs. the more strict hands-on spanking family dichotemy was overdone. While there is never a clear preference or bias in the parenting angle, the polarized family dynamic seems forced after awhile. While there, the children basically become infected with a virus, which leads them to at best questionable behavior, and at worst homicidal behavior. The story develops around that premise, and it doesn't take much to figure out where it goes from there. The pacing of the film was excellent for the first 2 acts and did a great job of pulling me in, but the 3rd act once everything was established seemed to drag on and I found myself wishing it kept pace with the first hour. Overall the writing and directing was good, and I'd like to see more of Tom Shankland's work, but there were a lot of plot holes and questions unanswered when the movie is said and done. More than I'd like in a movie, but again, this movie really did go out on a limb to make some things happen, took a lot of chances with the children's content, and it deserves to be noted that they pulled a lot of it off, and with a bunch of unknowns in the process. My big gripe other than an occasionally messy story, is for such a beautiful setting, and with such an opportunity to develop the isolation, the cinematography is weak to say the least. I'd have liked to have seen the environment featured a bit more. Overall, solid effort. I'd only recommend it to horror fans, and someone who is tolerant to a few obvious plotholes and undeveloped story.

• Rose G

  
  Reminds me a lot of The Children of the Corn - i just have not researched about this movie that far enough to check if there is a connection. I liked this movie a lot because the horror was not in the jump-scare scenes or the gore, there was really so little of that in here, but the… More
  Reminds me a lot of The Children of the Corn - i just have not researched about this movie that far enough to check if there is a connection. I liked this movie a lot because the horror was not in the jump-scare scenes or the gore, there was really so little of that in here, but the thought of having your own children turn into murdering psychos and not knowing whether you kill them off too in order to save yourself was what made this movie rather disturbing..

• d j

  
  Uggh this movie started to be interesting, and then it just got so horribly annoying with all the screaming, killing kids. I couldn't handle it anymore and I got not even half way through the movie. Not good if you find little kids extremely annoying..

• Patrick D

  
  Not what I was expecting. This film starts off all well and good, with some decent character development and steadily moves to become more and more over the top. Not a bad thing. It builds up to insanity well, with kids that can act pretty good and from my opinion some pretty natural… More
  Not what I was expecting. This film starts off all well and good, with some decent character development and steadily moves to become more and more over the top. Not a bad thing. It builds up to insanity well, with kids that can act pretty good and from my opinion some pretty natural performances all around, until everything hits the fan. I'm a fan of killer kid films, so maybe I'm a little biased, but this still went above and beyond my expectations.

• John M

  
  ¨The Children¨ is an extremely tense and surprisingly violent film where the direction and editing is quite good and the gore is very efficient and effective when it comes. Many people complain that the movie does not explain why it started to happen, BUT, I ask them, does THE BIRDS… More
  ¨The Children¨ is an extremely tense and surprisingly violent film where the direction and editing is quite good and the gore is very efficient and effective when it comes. Many people complain that the movie does not explain why it started to happen, BUT, I ask them, does THE BIRDS explain it? Check another very similar movie titled ¨Who Can Kill a Child¨(1976) and the remake of this one is coming with the title ¨In the Play Ground¨.

• Barry L

  
  Bloody hell this was unpleasant....in a good way.....I think the violence against the kids is what made this so disturbing and a damn fine movie. Very little gore or actual physical violence but watch it and you will see what I mean....proper nasty.

• Chris M

  
  Unsettling, low-budget British horror film that ticks all the right boxes.

Read all 18 featured audience ratings