PLOT: The events leading up to, and including, the massacre of the adults of a small town in Nebraska by their children, after the adults’ irresponsibility ruins the crop and the children’s future.
REVIEW: The Children of the Corn series has had a rough go of it over the last few years. Well, I guess you could say it’s pretty much been uneasy going its entire duration, but there’s always been that sliver of hope that something would come along that would finally put it in line with its contemporaries. And, dare I say, Kurt Wimmer has finally accomplished that with his 2023 remake. I know, I know, this sounds absolutely ludicrous after so many years of neglect but Wimmer seems to understand the one thing that’s vital to any reboot: respect.
I feel like I need to establish right from the jump that I’m not a massive fan of the franchise. I’ve seen the original and various sequels yet they’ve never really left an impression on me. So I went into this with very low expectations. But I also went in without any preconceived notions. Rewatching the first film before this review allowed for me to get reacquainted with the series, but only on a surface level. There are some clear comparisons to be made but, for the most part, this feels more like another adaptation of King’s novel than a remake of the original 1984 film.
The story is what you would expect: with a bunch of children banding together and murdering the adults in a small town. I like that they make the adults neglectful and almost “deserving” of some kind of punishment. Sure, not to the extent that the kids take it but still, I liked the reasoning. There are some corny moments, and not all of the deaths are handled elegantly. But this is a reboot of a series that has mostly been relegated to the direct-to-video market. To see it treated respectfully in both acting and direction, feels like more than the franchise has gotten in ages.
There’s really no other way to put it than that I was blown away by a few of the young actors here. The performances in this movie rule. Elena Kampouris is so good that I couldn’t look away anytime she was on screen. The entire film is anchored on Elena and she absolutely nails it. Even through some of the cheesier moments, she’s our dramatic anchor. She’s just so damn phenomenal in absolutely every aspect of her performance. Whenever she’s on-screen or propelling the narrative forward, the movie is better off for it. The series, and the slasher genre as a whole, is never known for its performances yet she constantly drew my attention.
Kate Moyer also really impresses as the young Eden, who is essentially our new version of Isaac. This is an extremely tough role, especially for her age, as she has several monologues and has to sound intimidating. Many children in similar roles end up really “acting large” to overcompensate for their stature. Thankfully, she doesn’t go too big with it, and instead forces the audience to her level. She speaks naturally and her more innocent tone really contrasts nicely with her evil actions. Even the performances that don’t work (most of the adults) are still entertaining in their cheesiness.
I really wasn’t expecting to have a physical manifestation of the cornfield represented here. Maybe this has happened elsewhere in the series, I’m not sure. And if you’ve seen Netflix’s In The Tall Grass, it may seem a tad familiar. The biggest issue with the creature though, is that there’s no weight to them. The actor is simply acting around them and the beast is filling a space. This means that every single strike is much less impactful than it should be. But I actually dug the look. One thing that has been true ever since Equilibrium is that Kurt Wimmer knows how to shoot a movie and here is no different. Children of the Corn is constantly giving us beautiful shots and is amongst the best-looking of the entire series.
Even in the film’s most stereotypical moment, both characters fully acknowledge the absurdity of the events, which goes a long way in making sense of them. I really loved Children of the Corn and hope that more people are willing to give it a chance. It’s very complicated release schedule (having originally been released in two theaters in Florida in 2020 and then shelved for almost 3 years) is sure to give you pause. But I can’t sing this film’s praises enough. Because after 11 movies, I can officially call myself a fan of Children of the Corn.
Children of the Corn is IN THEATERS ON MARCH 3rd and ON DEMAND AND DIGITAL MARCH 21st, 2023.
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