The Innocents

Wow, damn. What a way to end this year of horror. Absolutely loved this. Great performances, good direction, creepy kids, bloody, scary, unafraid to shock. A bit too slow but I feel that was absolutely necessary for this story.

Another treat from the writer of Thelma (2017) and Louder Than Bombs (2015). It is a slowburner but never loses suspense thanks to fluid direction, good cinematography and superb performances from the child actors. The premise is original and the atmosphere heavy and dark. A very interesting way to tackle the loss of innocence. If you like dark thrillers with supernatural elements, you should not miss this one.

There are certain things that are just plain horrible. But not far removed from ... reality. I mean characters - or how certain kids act and react. Testing things out - doing stuff that can be considered evil by any moral compass and code.

Having said that, this takes this evil to another level. Not to mention that the movie is ... quite fantastical. There are things here - that kids fantasize about ... but never really happen (at least not in our universe). The kids are not all alright ... but they are phenomenal when it comes to the acting. Which is pivotal, considering they are the main actors here. Beautifully shot, edited and a really good sound design, help the movie to reach and hold the viewers attention ... and then some. Certain scenes may be too graphic - but also quite a punch in the gut for some viewers. The movie is relentless ... and does not hold back ...

Premise of horror films are being experimented throughout but this one is audaciously unique in style and approach. Vogt's supernatural tale is gruesome,disturbing but still an investing watch. In the final moments of the film,it's impossible not to be glued on the screen. The performances,cinematography,direction are top notch.

Are you tired of the conventional "horror/thriller" movies? Then this one might be for you. It is by no means scary at any time, but it surely pushes the boundaries of what you expect to see in a movie, where children are the lead characters, this might upset your stomach at times, but this provocative choice is by design.

The supernatural/abnormal aspects are never fully explained though, which shouldnt be an issue in a fantasy scifi genre, but at least a small attempt towards some concept justification would have been desired. Still a very gripping film to watch, which could have been 20mins shorter to get a better score!