Drenched in dark, dreadful & foreboding atmosphere and steered by terrific performances from its young cast, The Innocents (De uskyldige) is slow, patient & measured in its approach but the tension & terror it invokes from its ominous build-up & gradually intensifying drama is unnerving & unsettling in suffocating doses, and ranks amongst the most gripping, absorbing & disturbing examples of its kind.
Written & directed by Eskil Vogt, the premise takes its time to set up and character introductions are proper yet there is this feeling of uneasy apprehension that pervades the air & is perceivable from early moments. And it only heightens as the plot progresses once what started as four kids exploring their mysterious powers takes a dangerous turn. And from thereon, the picture has our attention within its grasp.
Assisting the story in sustaining its chilling vibe & disquieting tone is the menacing camerawork, brooding score, slow-burn pace & sudden violence while the young actors play their respective parts with deft composure and are highly convincing in their roles. Their credible input is a vital ingredient that makes this drama work and these children navigate & articulate all the required emotions with surprising authenticity.
Overall, The Innocents addresses themes of friendship, loneliness, morality, cruelty, curiosity & loss of innocence through the bonding they forge and the hidden powers they discover in each other's presence. Unrelenting in its mood & smothering in its intensity, this Norwegian chiller is as uncomfortable as it is uncanny, never allows the suspense to leave the room and concludes with a haunting finale that lingers long after the credits roll.
