in a Deadline interview(opens in new tab) For some time now, when asked about his least favorite film adaptation of his work, Stephen King replied, “I am corn children Sequel.” It’s hard to imagine that a horror writer would change his mind if he went to see this new production.
Adapted by writer-director Kurt Wimmer from King’s 1977 short story, it is the eleventh (yes! eleventh!) film in the series and takes place in a strange setting around a cornfield in a small town in Nebraska. It reimagines the original story while maintaining the familiar tentpole of murderous children forming a cult. .
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problem? This murderous bunch of kids isn’t creepy enough, their takeover of the town doesn’t really make sense, and the shock factor that made Fritz Kirsch’s original 1984 adaptation so successful is entirely absent.
corn children Just not scary enough.
Creepy children abound in horror movies and King’s work. One of the reasons metaphors are used all the time is because seeing violence and threats in the hands of young people can be very effective and disturbing. exorcist A recent (and very scary) example like Z. and Innocents.
corn children I won’t be joining any time soon. Despite the fact that the film’s main antagonists are children, their all-important creepiness is sorely lacking, and the film leans too far into a gory, slashing atmosphere, creating tension in doing so. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with acting. The child actors all do a solid job, and Kate Moyer is especially effective as the little psychopath leader Eden Edwards. The problem is that the script doesn’t give kids enough work. doing.
Oh, and the monsters that all kids adore look like Ents made out of corn.
This movie has a few plot holes.
In the original 1984 film, the opening scene(opens in new tab) A cafe full of ignorant adults is suddenly and brutally murdered by a group of armed children and teenagers. The scene was both shocking and incredibly effective, as it included an older child in the ranks who could handle a . Go up to the floor. Are you exaggerating a little? yes.But it felt like can happened.
Wimmers corn childrenChildren, on the other hand, terrorize adults in very unrealistic ways and quickly rise to prominence. For example, how can these children group adults into prison cells? How do children motivate adults after they have captured them?
Yes, OK, the kids are armed, but it still feels silly to see ten adult men cowering under the gaze of a small child.
Are there any positives?
In defense of the film, it clearly doesn’t take it too seriously. corn children If you enjoy Gore and Hammy’s special effects and are looking for light entertainment, you could probably do worse. Roland’s cinematography includes some undeniably beautiful shots of seemingly endless cornfields.
However, if you want a movie about people lost in the fields, you’d be better off watching Netflix’s adaptation of Stephen King and Joe Hill’s short story. in tall grass.
Or, even better, just watch the original corn children(opens in new tab).
Children of the Corn is available in theaters starting March 3 and on demand starting March 23.
