Come Out and Play

A Creepy Slow Build Tension Compensates Somewhat For Very Thin Plotting
The idea of murdering children on a rampage is certainly not a new one. There have been countless film projects to address the phenomenon in both horror and science fiction categories. But it is such an unsettling narrative device, it never fails to raise my curiosity. As the ultimate corruption of innocence, the sight of a young child ready to perpetuate irredeemable violence creates such a harrowing tableau that it is oftentimes difficult to look away. It has a car crash appeal that I find absolutely fascinating. The minimalist shocker "Come Out and Play" has a slow build tension that makes the most of its subject. For much of its scant 86 minute running time, it alludes to dangers unseen as opposed to showcasing carnage. This approach does create a creepy vibe, but it also calls for the adult cast to make a series of increasingly head-scratching decisions in order to sustain the tension. In a film of this type, I feel the need to get caught up in the escalating nightmare...

Truly Creepy
For me this film was very creepy, it gave me nightmares. Seeing children killing adults on screen for some unexplained reason was terrifying enough; but to see the way they were doing it was horrifying even more so. I was truly scared after seeing this movie, even though I never saw the original I still found it to be a terrifying and good horror movie. I will definitely have to see the original after seeing this one.

See the original instead
Disappointing English language remake of the classic 1976 Spanish horror flick Who Can Kill A Child? about a young couple on vacation who land on an island that seems to be completely deserted except for some children. Stephen King co-opted the basic premise for his famous 1977 short story Children of the Corn so what seemed pretty novel and shocking in 1976 is much less so now. This version follows the old Spanish flick very, very closely but where the original was extremely creepy this version is hamstrung by lousy acting (from the adult leads and the children alike) and never manages to generate any suspense whatsoever. In this film the first victim the protagonist sees killed by the children is stabbed and bludgeoned with rocks. In the original film the first victim was hung up like a human pinata while a smiling little girl slashes at him with a scythe. Which sounds creepier to you? Like the 2004 version of The Manchurian Candidate this ultimately comes across as much more...

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