The Children (2008)

Director: Tom Shankland
Starring: Eva Birthistle, Hannah Tointon, Stephen Campbell Moore, Jeremy Sheffield, Rachel Shelley
Genre: Horror
Certificate: 18
Rating: *****

Before watching this, I was in the perfect mood for some nice gore. However, whilst watching this, I realised that it is the first horror film I have seen that made me want to turn it off, shriek, and possibly puke. The Children is not that gory, in comparison to the Saw films, or Eden Lake. But what makes you want to scream is that fact that it is children, who are meant to be innocent, are wielding knives and other sharp objects, and are purposefully attempting to murder their older family members. These children are surprisingly well-acted, as are their parents. Although their parents aren't...sadistic like them. As the parents are completely irrational (they believe that the older teenage daughter, who is going through a rebellious stage, is attempting to murder the children), it is not hard for the children to get their own way. As well as the horror, the camera shots are actually beautiful - there is one scene in which the blood is seeping into the snow, which is an inappropriate 'wow'. This film is disturbing, and it will keep you up at night. But it is also a stroke of genius.