Child Eater

 



Director - Erlingur Thoroddsen (Rift, Patient Zero)
Starring - Cait Bliss (Towers of Terror, Consumed), Colin Critchley (Legends of the Hidden Temple, Are You Jokin?), and Jason Martin (The Blacklist, Gotham)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Horror
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     A great writer with any kind of imagination can turn anything into a horrifying scenario.  Trapped on an elevator, riding a escalator, taking a shower, or even using the kitchen sink have all been the settings for iconic horror scenes that took imagination and solid writing to combine with amazing atmosphere to create something unforgettable.  With that being said, there is certain scenarios that require little imagination or writing skill to be terrifying.  I grew up with an irrational fear of being raped after watching American History X but that has since changed after becoming a father.  Now films centered around children and death often keep me on edge.  Sometime ago I was sent the 2016 horror film Child Eater to check out.  Honestly, I put it off because it made me feel uneasy but I decided to suck it up and check it out!  Thank you MVD for sending this one my way.

     The film follows babysitter Helen who is watching Lucas while his father is out for work.  Lucas is a young boy that loves horror movies and suspects that the old man he sees in the woods has been sneaking into his home.  What he doesn't know is that there is a local legend revolving around a blind man that believed he could eat the eyes of the living it would bring his vision back and the younger the eye the better.  They are about to discover the legend is true and they may not see it coming.

     I went into this expecting to feel uneasy and uncomfortable but what I was given was a drama bases around a pretty decent urban legend that doesn't come to fruition until the later part of the film.  This one had a story that could have worked but failed to put the pieces in the correct order.  The acting in this one works.  The cast works very well together and portray some very grounded characters.  Their emotions are in check and they do a great job at bringing the scenes to life.  The story for this one could be a truly horrifying horror film but it flows more like a dark drama until late into the film.  The film looks amazing and could have went either way but it fails to find it's footing in the horror genre.  Finally, the film does have some solid death scenes and gore.  The effects are great and so is the cinematography.  The story may be lackluster but the kills in this film are not easily forgettable.  Overall, Child Eater could be something truly amazing in indie horror but the fact the story is unable to capture the true terror this story had to offer.  Most of you have heard me use the term Wal-Mart Horror for generic horror flicks and that sums this one up nicely.