There’s Something Wrong with the Children – Movie Review (4/5)

THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CHILDREN is a new horror movie out on VOD now. As indicated by the title, you’ll get plenty of creepy kids moments. It works brilliantly, so be sure to check it out. Read our full There’s Something Wrong with the Children movie review here!

THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CHILDREN is a horror mystery featuring some very creepy kids. And yes, it does work remarkably well. Both due to the adult actors and the young ones. Also, the story works really well with wonderful nuances and social commentary.

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It’s absolutely worth checking out and with a runtime of around 90 minutes, it even has a strong and solid pace. Plus, it’s from producer Jason Blum which should please many horror fans.

Continue reading our There’s Something Wrong with the Children movie review below. Find it On Demand from January 17, 2023.

So deliciously creepy

The story takes place when Margaret (Alisha Wainwright) and Ben (Zach Gilford) take a weekend trip with longtime friends Ellie (Amanda Crew) and Thomas (Carlos Santos). The latter couple has two young children (Briella Guiza and David Mattle) and all four adults enjoy having kids along.

However, after a particularly strange experience during a hike, Ben begins to suspect that there’s something wrong with the children. He goes straight to believing it’s a supernatural thing, which you can absolutely understand as we see what he sees.

There’s just the issue of his past mental issues that come into play. Nobody believes Ben and, frankly, we as viewers can’t be sure what to believe at first either. Don’t worry though, you’ll know what’s going on before the movie is over.

I also loved that the very basic decision to have kids (or not!) is a core subject. As is how you decide to be with your kids when you have made the decision to have them. Don’t worry, these latter social commentary elements don’t take away from anything creepy. It’s just a detail that you will probably be able to relate to – both if you’re someone who has kids or who has opted out of this.

The cast makes it all come together

With a story this simple – and yet with supernatural elements – the actors have to really sell the story. You need to be able to stay in this weird little universe and not be distracted by any performances that feel off.

Fortunately, There’s Something Wrong with the Children has a stellar cast for this purpose.

Alisha Wainwright (Raising Dion) and Zach Gilford (The Midnight Club) work really well as the adventurous couple Margaret and Ben. They’re trying to live their best life while also having some personal issues to keep in check. Meanwhile, their friends Ellie and Thomas are equally believably portrayed by Amanda Crew (Freaks) and Carlos Santos (Ghost Team One).

The latter couple is working through some marital hick-ups and needs to reconnect. All the adult relationships (romantic as well as friendships) are very natural thanks to the chemistry between all four adult actors.

And then we have the kids. Those deliciously creepy kids, who are just very normal children at first. Briella Guiza (Ambulance) plays the big sister Lucy with David Mattle (Life & Beth) as Spencer. The shift from normal and rather charming kids to dangerously creepy is elegant and efficient in that delicious horror way we love.

Watch There’s Something Wrong with the Children now!

The director of There’s Something Wrong with the Children is Roxanne Benjamin. You’ll probably have come across her work before as she’s directed various horror anthologies. These include Southbound (her debut in 2015), XX (2017), and two episodes of Creepshow (2019).

The feature film debut of Roxanne Benjamin (as writer and director) came with the 2019 genre-hybrid Body at Brighton Rock. The screenplay for There’s Something Wrong with the Children comes from T.J. Cimfel and David White, who also co-wrote the 2015 horror movie Intruders (aka Shut In).

As mentioned earlier, this new horror movie is produced by Jason Blum, but other executive producers include Josh Reinhold, Jeremy Gold (Mr. Harrigan’s Phone), and Chris McCumber (Nanny).

If you’re wondering if this movie is for you, then the answer is a resounding yes, if creepy kids work for you. And again, kudos for getting such an awesome cast for this intriguing story!

There’s Something Wrong with the Children is available on Digital and on Demand from January 17, 2023.

Details

Director: Roxanne Benjamin
Writers: T.J. Cimfel, David White
Cast: Alisha Wainwright, Zach Gilford, Amanda Crew, Carlos Santos, Briella Guiza, David Mattle