Children of the Corn – Movie Review (2/5)

CHILDREN OF THE CORN is a new horror movie. It was made in 2020, but has been waiting on a release, which is coming here in 2023. First in movie theaters and weeks later on Digital. It’s still based on the Stephen King short story. Read our Children of the Corn 2023 movie review here!

CHILDREN OF THE CORN is yet another take on the Stephen King short story from 1977. First, it was released in Penthouse (yes, the so-called “men’s magazine”) in 1977 and then in a collection of short stories in 1978. However, this horror movie was made in 2020 and has been waiting to be released. In recent years, financial issues have played a part, but not in this case.

In this case, however, I think there’s another reason this new Children of the Corn has been on the shelf since 2020. Just getting released now in the earliest days of spring 2023. This movie is extremely choppy, largely incoherent, and just an overall irrelevant take on the Stephen King story.

Continue reading our Children of the Corn movie review below. You can find it in Theaters on March 3, 2023, and On Demand and Digital on March 21, 2023.

Did we need another Children of the Corn movie?

Whenever we see yet another remake of a familiar story (often one that comes from Stephen King), we quickly wonder; Do we need another take on this? Well, sometimes we absolutely do. The latest IT is a much stronger adaption than the made-for-TV production that was rushed out to build on the original book release.

The same can be said for the 2020 series adaption of The Stand. However, a first-time adaption like the Carrie (1976) movie has yet to be beaten. Some might have come closer than others, but the original is still brilliant and, well, better! And the 2019 Pet Sematary didn’t do much to improve on the original either.

And yet, I felt like a new and fresh take on the Children of the Corn story was – in theory – a very welcomed addition to the movies based on Stephen King stories. I mean, even the first attempt at an adaption from 1984 (starring Linda Hamilton and Peter Horton) only has an IMDb rating of 5.6. In other words, it could be improved upon.

And yet, it really hasn’t been. I’d watch the original again instead. Well, okay, maybe with the exception of Kate Moyer, who does a brilliant job of being a murderous child in this 2023 release.

Kate Moyer is amazing!

While I’m not crazy about this latest take on the Children of the Corn plot, it’s through no fault of the actors. Due to the nature of this story, much of the main cast is obviously made up of young actors.

For me, Kate Moyer is the absolute star of the movie. Both for the obvious reason of her playing a key character, but also because I just loved seeing her on screen. I can think of several other horror movies they could remake with her in a leading role. She’s creepy and scary, but – even more importantly – she also comes across as fierce.

You’ll want a character portrayed by Kate Moyer on your side in any horror movie. And you really don’t want to get on her bad side. You may recognize Kate Moyer from the horror movie Our House (2018) or the HBO mini-series Station Eleven (2021-2022). Hopefully, we’ll see her in plenty more genre productions.

Focusing on other characters

Unfortunately, the character played by Kate Moyer wasn’t really as much in focus as she could (and should?) have been. Instead of focusing on this villain-with-a-purpose character, the focus is on the teens siding with the adults and fighting against the children.

Mainly through the character portrayed by Elena Kampouris (Jupiter’s Legacy). She does what she can with the script, but the story is just chopped and weak in so many ways. Also, while it may be a minor thing, the hairstyle chosen for the character played by Elena Kampouris is just strange. She’s supposed to be a 17-year-old girl living in a very rural small town.

Finally, we also have Callan Mulvey (Till Death, The Gray Man) and Bruce Spence (The Dry, Love and Monsters) playing key characters. Two strong actors who play important characters but are being used in scenes that are overly dramatic. For the most part anyway. There are some golden horror moments featuring these two as well – especially Bruce Spence!

Watch Children of the Corn in theaters – or On Demand soon!

Kurt Wimmer is the writer and director of Children of the Corn. Obviously, the movie is still based on the Stephen King short story, but “inspired by” might have been more appropriate. It takes place in our present day and a lot has been changed for Stephen King’s original story.

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This 2023 release has a very abrupt beginning and just jumps around from one “big scene” to the next. Building characters or letting us get close to anyone is impossible. There is plenty of juicy stuff at the core of this story, but it’s only hinted at. Also, the CGI alien-like creature that lives in the corn is anything but scary. Which is a shame!

RLJE Films is releasing this latest Children of the Corn movie, and if you’re a fan of the original story (or movie franchise), then surely you need to watch this as well. The same goes for all the movies in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, though that has often let us down as well. But hey, you’ve been warned of its issues now, so maybe you can enjoy it more.

CHILDREN OF THE CORN is in Theaters on March 3, 2023, and On Demand and Digital on March 21, 2023.

Details

Director: Kurt Wimmer
Writer: Kurt Wimmer
Cast: Elena Kampouris, Kate Moyer, Callan Mulvey, Bruce Spence