There will always be releases that are remakes, sequels and reboots. A very delicate subject for many, which I always felt was weird. I’m one that accepts them all. If any of those movies tell a great recreation of a beloved film, why not have it made. With Children of The Corn, I actually have not seen the original and maybe I should have before watching this one. Something I very much plan to do very soon, but glad I was able to check the new version, without any way to compare the two. I think it is very important to take each film at face value and as a standalone movie. The new Children of the Corn is effective, scary and really got to me. Spooky kids be scary! I always get uncomfortable with kids doing scary things in movies. From The Shining twins, The Omen and more, kids bring a level of disturbance unlike no other. Especially when they do terrifying acts. Kate Moyer, who plays Eden, brings a goosebump inducing performance. A villain that is ruthless and delivers some good one liners. The movie itself is a bit silly and cheesy at moments, but when it came time to deliver the horror, it delivered the majority of the time. Elena Kampouris holds her own as the main protagonist and is the character that brings the most emotional weight to the scenes. The movie doesn’t hold back in its brutality and every death is truly shocking. A quick short watch, that really dives more in its kills then the lore, but still provides a good horror flick that many people can get enjoyment from.
When it comes to horror films, the opening scene is very important to set the tone for the rest of the movie. It is the foundation for how dark the tone will be and what type of ride the audience is about to embark, or at least it should. With Children of the Corn, the movie starts with a very intense scene. A scene that has to do with a lot of deaths and one of the most disturbing causes of death I've seen on screen. It strongly introduces some of the main characters at the start and learn about what they have gone through. The movie never lets you breath as well. It gets straight to the point and I really appreciate that. The pacing in this short runtime is very quick and the movie doesn’t have too much of a complicated plot. Children of the Corn is just a very fast paced straight forward movie overall. This could be something that works very well with people or maybe turn them off. I personally didn’t mind, mostly because I feel like a reboot like this, shouldn’t waste my time. The plot has been done before, why not just jump into the action. The only thing that hurt the movie by doing this, is the character development. There was no time to really get to know any of the adult characters, so when it came time for them to die, it was hard to care for them. The only person I really cared about in the movie was Bo, played by Elena Kampouris. She was fantastic in her role and I really wanted her to survive. Other than that, I just kept thinking that I would never want to cross paths with Eden in real life. Her character was truly terrifying and brought the majority of the intense scenes.
I wished I saw the original movie to have some content of the story or at least have read the book. Still happy seeing this as standalone flick, but I feel that I left watching this film with so many unanswered questions. I believe this movie could have possibly have been better as a mini series, for there is so much more to explore. There are a lot of mysteries about the movie that unfortunately never see a resolution or explained. There is the “one who walks” who I will not spoil, but was something I wish they explored more. I'm almost positive that the book and previous movies most have explored more about this thing in the corn. With what seems like a small budget film, the CGI used in some scenes looked passable, if not really bad. Which is fine, the crew did the best with what they had. Sometimes less is more though. They could have easily gotten away by not showing certain things or events. Something I always try to look past if it's a smaller film. With all of that said, each scene was frightening and there always seemed to be a sense of danger. There were some great back and forth conversations with our main protagonist and antagonist that was really cool to watch. I think the cast did a great job with the script that they were given, but wished to see more of that character development.
Overall Children of The Corn is a fun horror flick that will get fans of the franchise on board. It delivers multiple thrills and scares that will have you get goosebumps. The acting was solid and everyone did a decent job in the film. There’s a lot that happens towards the end of the film that I wish went a different direction, but I was happy with the movie regardless. This might be a movie where you do have to let some things slide, to really enjoy it. Taking it at face value for what it is, will be the best way to watch it. Nothing super special, but a movie that has a lot to enjoy. The kids will for sure haunt you for a bit after the watch. They were super scary and Eden is one of the scariest villains so far this year! Fair warning for those that can’t handle violence towards kids. Most of the violence happens to the adults, but there are some disturbing scenes that deal with children as well. This is a pretty intense movie and deal with some heavy material, so you have been warned. Out now and worth the quick watch!
Written By: Frederick Nuti
Score: 76/100