When the plot of a horror movie revolves around children, they must be successful with their acting. Unfortunately, that element is missing from Blumhouse's most recent production. There's Something Wrong With The Children follows a family on a weekend trip with longtime friends and their two young children, but they suspect something supernatural when the children behave strangely after disappearing in the woods during the night. The children become annoying instead of being creepy and making the audience uncomfortable. The movie fails to create an atmosphere of terror and suspense leaving you wondering if it is a horror movie you are watching. The ending becomes predictable making this movie an experience I wouldn't want to repeat.
117 Reviews
Good, if you like being clueless
jasonmenzies19 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
When I saw the title of this film I was immediately intrigued. I saw the cast list and knew I had to watch it when I saw Zach Gilford was in it. I loved him as Matt Saracen of course but also enjoyed him branching out into the film industry and the horror genre. He was very good in Midnight Mass!
As the film starts the cinematography was well done and the acting seemed pretty good. The couples played as couples well and the children were believable as brother and sister.
This is where the good of the movie ends. I was severely let down.
If you like films that give you absolutely no explanation for what happens, this one is for you.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The couples are staying in cabins in the woods to get some quality time together away from their busy lives in the city. We don't hear much about the history of the couples but eventually it's revealed that Ben (Gilford) struggles with mental illness, specifically mania. The other couple reveals that there is distance between them due to a sexual encounter they had with two other friends.
Ben leads the entire group into the woods to adventure down a path and just see what's out there. They come across an old abandoned brick building with no signs, no leftover equipment, nothing at all to indicate what it used to be. They find inside this building a deep hole/well that captures all of their attention. The children seem exceptionally caught up in it, even going trance like as they look into it. The boy refers to it as "the place that shines."
From there, we go on this crazy adventure where the children are definitely no longer children, they continually play on Ben's mental illness and are able to get him isolated from the group because the rest of them believe he just means harm to the kids. The kids speak in weird hisses and clicks, which is soon revealed to be the language they now speak because these are truly not the same children.
The kids get each adult alone individually and then try to kill them so they can bring their bodies back to the hole and dump them in, where they would presumably be revived as one of these imitation people.
Eventually, through a shadow, you learn the children have became for lack of a better word, big bugs. You never see the creature physically. You never learn why it's there. You never learn how it came to be there. You never learn what the building is or was. You never learn a single thing. The kids turn into bugs and attack the adults and try to change them as well. That's it.
I give it a 4 for some decent acting and cinematography but that's it.
As the film starts the cinematography was well done and the acting seemed pretty good. The couples played as couples well and the children were believable as brother and sister.
This is where the good of the movie ends. I was severely let down.
If you like films that give you absolutely no explanation for what happens, this one is for you.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The couples are staying in cabins in the woods to get some quality time together away from their busy lives in the city. We don't hear much about the history of the couples but eventually it's revealed that Ben (Gilford) struggles with mental illness, specifically mania. The other couple reveals that there is distance between them due to a sexual encounter they had with two other friends.
Ben leads the entire group into the woods to adventure down a path and just see what's out there. They come across an old abandoned brick building with no signs, no leftover equipment, nothing at all to indicate what it used to be. They find inside this building a deep hole/well that captures all of their attention. The children seem exceptionally caught up in it, even going trance like as they look into it. The boy refers to it as "the place that shines."
From there, we go on this crazy adventure where the children are definitely no longer children, they continually play on Ben's mental illness and are able to get him isolated from the group because the rest of them believe he just means harm to the kids. The kids speak in weird hisses and clicks, which is soon revealed to be the language they now speak because these are truly not the same children.
The kids get each adult alone individually and then try to kill them so they can bring their bodies back to the hole and dump them in, where they would presumably be revived as one of these imitation people.
Eventually, through a shadow, you learn the children have became for lack of a better word, big bugs. You never see the creature physically. You never learn why it's there. You never learn how it came to be there. You never learn what the building is or was. You never learn a single thing. The kids turn into bugs and attack the adults and try to change them as well. That's it.
I give it a 4 for some decent acting and cinematography but that's it.
The first half is great
simon-mccormack-6536419 January 2023
This movie (like so many others) had so much potential. The first half of the movie is excellent. It introduces us to our characters and develops them really well.
The premise - although not original - creates some fantastic suspense. The main character Ben knows something is up or rather WRONG with the kids, but nobody else can see it. That was so well done and allowed for some really inventive suspenseful moments.
Then the writers went and threw it all away with rushing into a third act full of the usual horror tropes. The ending was a huge let down.
Imagine if in The Shining we didn't see much of the build up of Jack beginning to lose his sanity, and instead it rushed straight to him trying to kill his family with an axe. That's kind of like what this film does, which is a shame.
I gave this film a 6/10 because I enjoyed the first half a lot. But with better writing and allowing the suspense to continue, this could have been so much better.
The premise - although not original - creates some fantastic suspense. The main character Ben knows something is up or rather WRONG with the kids, but nobody else can see it. That was so well done and allowed for some really inventive suspenseful moments.
Then the writers went and threw it all away with rushing into a third act full of the usual horror tropes. The ending was a huge let down.
Imagine if in The Shining we didn't see much of the build up of Jack beginning to lose his sanity, and instead it rushed straight to him trying to kill his family with an axe. That's kind of like what this film does, which is a shame.
I gave this film a 6/10 because I enjoyed the first half a lot. But with better writing and allowing the suspense to continue, this could have been so much better.
There's something wrong with this movie
ivvanabarac19 January 2023
If this movie was free or on Lifetime, I'd probably give a better rating. The acting is so bad that it's hard to disregard. There are creepy aspects of the film and it does a decent job of building suspense I guess, but overall falls short in what you'd expect based on the trailer.
It takes a little over 35-45 minutes for horror fans to see anything substantial which makes it difficult to stay interested. I completely appreciate and enjoy a slow burn but with the horrible acting and lack of major thrills as mentioned, it almost doesn't seem worth it to stick though the movie.
This is definitely one to pass.
It takes a little over 35-45 minutes for horror fans to see anything substantial which makes it difficult to stay interested. I completely appreciate and enjoy a slow burn but with the horrible acting and lack of major thrills as mentioned, it almost doesn't seem worth it to stick though the movie.
This is definitely one to pass.
Tiresome and annoying bad actors
honeybloggs-6964819 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The scenes were too long , during a scene full of suspense the lead actress took ages to open the door. I'm sure there are kids who can act but the kids in this film clearly can't. I think the kids were meant to be creepy and scary but they were just incredibly annoying . It was like having an annoying fly buzz around your face . Acting by the little boy . Some scenes were nonsensical . The female lead ran towards her car put the keys in the car door , the bad kids were a distance away yet instead of opening the car door , she crawled underneath the car ! Ha Ha ! The acting was terrible except by the Hispanic guy . He was good .
If they'd made it in to a comedy horror ,then it might have saved the film . It was too serious for the type of film it was and it was very badly executed.
If they'd made it in to a comedy horror ,then it might have saved the film . It was too serious for the type of film it was and it was very badly executed.
Maybe Spend More Effort in the Story Than the Boxes
rebeltaz-1870513 August 2023
Maybe if they had spent more time worrying about the story line or the script than than did about getting those boxes ticked off... it might have been ok. It's all there... two toned marriages; the little boy looks more like a girl and makes sure to wear the symbol God gave to Noah after the flood; strong, independent women who run their marriages and control the men like puppets; multiple partner intercourse glorification.... Yep. But a story? Why bother? It's got what's important. :eye_roll:
Ok... with that out of the way, let's get to the story itself. Trying not to give anything away... when you are being chased by a monster and you grab the car keys, do you A) run for the car and make a break for it -or- B) put the keys in your pocket; open the front door; and hide inside? Yeah. Me, too. Ok...Ok... forget that. You've got the keys to the car in your hand. You are standing right at the car. The keys are in the door lock. You've turned the key and unlocked the door. Do you A) open the door; get in the car; and drive like your life depends on it (because it does) -or- B) leave the keys in the lock; drop down; crawl under the car; and wait for the monster to come check things out? Yeah. Me, too. The brilliant protagonist, though, doesn't choose option A in either situation.
Do yourself a favor and skip this. I mean.. unless of course you care more about boxes than content.
Ok... with that out of the way, let's get to the story itself. Trying not to give anything away... when you are being chased by a monster and you grab the car keys, do you A) run for the car and make a break for it -or- B) put the keys in your pocket; open the front door; and hide inside? Yeah. Me, too. Ok...Ok... forget that. You've got the keys to the car in your hand. You are standing right at the car. The keys are in the door lock. You've turned the key and unlocked the door. Do you A) open the door; get in the car; and drive like your life depends on it (because it does) -or- B) leave the keys in the lock; drop down; crawl under the car; and wait for the monster to come check things out? Yeah. Me, too. The brilliant protagonist, though, doesn't choose option A in either situation.
Do yourself a favor and skip this. I mean.. unless of course you care more about boxes than content.
I can't believe this is getting bad reviews.
destiny_west22 January 2023
The only reason I can think that this film is getting bad reviews is that it is from people who like to be spoon fed their horror films. They want the same old rubbish, the same old remakes, the same old jump scares, and the 10th film in a series. There's Something Wrong with the Children is a refreshing horror film. I admit that I was not a fan of the opening credits, I think that they could have been done better and it had me trigger itchy to turn it off, however I had already watched one exceptionally bad horror flick for the day and I wanted to at least get a good one in, so I held in there and was glad that I did.
Basically two couples (one with two children) are staying with cabins, when out hiking they stumble across this abandoned building come ruins that has this strange pit that the kids are attracted to and get blood noses near. From that the kids begin to change personality and mayhem ensues.
Now these kids are creepy little buggers. Whoever is saying that these kid actors can't act.. please. These two are brilliant.
All the acting was on par, apart from the ranger's delivery, which was to say the least a bit cheesy.
The film was long, and could have been edited to speed it up a bit. But I can't say that I was bored at any point.
I really enjoyed this film. Like I said it was really refreshing to watch something original for a change.
Basically two couples (one with two children) are staying with cabins, when out hiking they stumble across this abandoned building come ruins that has this strange pit that the kids are attracted to and get blood noses near. From that the kids begin to change personality and mayhem ensues.
Now these kids are creepy little buggers. Whoever is saying that these kid actors can't act.. please. These two are brilliant.
All the acting was on par, apart from the ranger's delivery, which was to say the least a bit cheesy.
The film was long, and could have been edited to speed it up a bit. But I can't say that I was bored at any point.
I really enjoyed this film. Like I said it was really refreshing to watch something original for a change.
Awful children. Dumb adults. Tired premise. What's not to hate.
Otkon21 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Don't need another documentary on how ruinous children are to society, fun, happiness and the overall well-being of the universe. But here we are.
I am not too sure what this movie was trying to do. It was The Ruins for a second. Then the filmmakers tried to briefly play with the ambiguity of Ben's mental anguish and the pills. But that was an infinitesimal misdirect before the cliched changeling stuff was verified and ran into dirt, backed over with a steamroller and buried under a beaten horse.
And aren't all children en masse just an infestation of murderous insectoid demon spawn from a dank infernal pit? So nothing new or poignant was presented narrative-wise.
The adults are also stupid as ever. Their fault for having kids, wanting kids, tolerating kids, encouraging their little weasel faces to be see and heard. That's for starters; then the grown-ups make more bad decisions throughout. Get in the car and leave already, you badly-created cinematic woman! But of course she doesn't.
And the metaphors/symbolism! All over the place. From her jacket, Lucy was clearly supposed to be both Lil Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf?!?!?! As well as the unseen insect bratty monster thingie?! Holy mixed figures of speech and fiction, Bugman. And the whole starting a family thing in possessed human skin suits?!?!?!!? That just didn't work.
This movie is so bad that it dares to rip off the end of that just-as-moronic Pet Sematary remake. I guess we meant to imagine she smashes them on the front of the SUV like so many mayflies. Then turns on the windshield wipers and goes to the car wash. But show us that!
And there are no creature effects. Just lights in a hole, glowy eyes and some OK suggestive shadows.
The opening song is decent and every once in a while someone pretending to be Rick Wakeman revs up the Hammond organ for a weird musical cue.
An entirely dismissable waste of time.
I am not too sure what this movie was trying to do. It was The Ruins for a second. Then the filmmakers tried to briefly play with the ambiguity of Ben's mental anguish and the pills. But that was an infinitesimal misdirect before the cliched changeling stuff was verified and ran into dirt, backed over with a steamroller and buried under a beaten horse.
And aren't all children en masse just an infestation of murderous insectoid demon spawn from a dank infernal pit? So nothing new or poignant was presented narrative-wise.
The adults are also stupid as ever. Their fault for having kids, wanting kids, tolerating kids, encouraging their little weasel faces to be see and heard. That's for starters; then the grown-ups make more bad decisions throughout. Get in the car and leave already, you badly-created cinematic woman! But of course she doesn't.
And the metaphors/symbolism! All over the place. From her jacket, Lucy was clearly supposed to be both Lil Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf?!?!?! As well as the unseen insect bratty monster thingie?! Holy mixed figures of speech and fiction, Bugman. And the whole starting a family thing in possessed human skin suits?!?!?!!? That just didn't work.
This movie is so bad that it dares to rip off the end of that just-as-moronic Pet Sematary remake. I guess we meant to imagine she smashes them on the front of the SUV like so many mayflies. Then turns on the windshield wipers and goes to the car wash. But show us that!
And there are no creature effects. Just lights in a hole, glowy eyes and some OK suggestive shadows.
The opening song is decent and every once in a while someone pretending to be Rick Wakeman revs up the Hammond organ for a weird musical cue.
An entirely dismissable waste of time.
An experiment
matijadominikovic25 January 2023
The film can also be characterized as psycho horror. Many criticisms are due to the bad acting of the children, but it was not a problem for me in general. The only problem is the very end of the film, which was done "hastily" as if the director had no idea how the film should end, so they did the first thing that came to their mind.
It can be assumed that the film did not have a very big budget, but it deviates from jumpscares and boring horror elements that have already been "used up" through years and years of making horror films. The movie is excellent if you like mysticism, adventure, drama, horror, psychothriller, action. The film has a little bit of every genre. I rated it 7/10 only because of the ending, which in my opinion is the most important for horror films, because I think that in horror films the viewer should not be left to come up with the final event, but that it should be completely clear and determined. I advise everyone who makes horror films to analyze Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, because it is the core of horror as it should have been.
It can be assumed that the film did not have a very big budget, but it deviates from jumpscares and boring horror elements that have already been "used up" through years and years of making horror films. The movie is excellent if you like mysticism, adventure, drama, horror, psychothriller, action. The film has a little bit of every genre. I rated it 7/10 only because of the ending, which in my opinion is the most important for horror films, because I think that in horror films the viewer should not be left to come up with the final event, but that it should be completely clear and determined. I advise everyone who makes horror films to analyze Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, because it is the core of horror as it should have been.
Worst film of 2023 so far
purpletangerinepromotions21 January 2023
Every 5 minutes this piece of rubbish just keeps getting worse...
Looks like a cheap student movie. The musical score is completely wrong... They use music in places you'd expect something dramatic to unfold but never does...
Acting is beyond bad (Apart from Margaret, she is decent)....
I knew 5 minutes in I should have turned it off but my wife said we've started now so must finish it... Having forced me to continue to offend my vision, this must be grounds for divorce...
Somewhere in the world there is a poor baby being born blind.. Please do not waste your ability to see, watching this rubbish....
Looks like a cheap student movie. The musical score is completely wrong... They use music in places you'd expect something dramatic to unfold but never does...
Acting is beyond bad (Apart from Margaret, she is decent)....
I knew 5 minutes in I should have turned it off but my wife said we've started now so must finish it... Having forced me to continue to offend my vision, this must be grounds for divorce...
Somewhere in the world there is a poor baby being born blind.. Please do not waste your ability to see, watching this rubbish....
A Good Entry Into The Evil Children Movies
ladymidath5 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
This is good a pretty good movie for something that has been done many times before. Not quite as good as The Children, a British horror, but it does stand up.
The cast is good but the characters they play are unpleasant and downright annoying. In the end, you don't care what happens to them.
The children are fine, but they came across as more annoying then scary.
The story, two couples, one with kids are in holidaying and staying in cabins, come across an old abandoned structure. They find a creepy looking pit which affects the kids and they slowly turn murderous.
The ending with the final girl facing down the creepy kids and her now possessed partner, was actually pretty good, This is not one of the worse kids become possessed movies, but there are some better ones out there.
The cast is good but the characters they play are unpleasant and downright annoying. In the end, you don't care what happens to them.
The children are fine, but they came across as more annoying then scary.
The story, two couples, one with kids are in holidaying and staying in cabins, come across an old abandoned structure. They find a creepy looking pit which affects the kids and they slowly turn murderous.
The ending with the final girl facing down the creepy kids and her now possessed partner, was actually pretty good, This is not one of the worse kids become possessed movies, but there are some better ones out there.
For what it is, it's pretty good.
Patient44420 January 2023
I have to say I started this little film with no real expectations, simply wanted to see a new horror. From the very start I liked the cast, so I became curious to see where this is going.
And as time passed, the action moved quite quickly I might add, the plot developed. It manifested into what it wanted to show, and I was intrigued, the story feels real, the action, reactions, consequences, it all fell together lovely.
A small horror that delivered, so I had a good time with it.
Definitely recommendable, for horror fans, for those who prefer children based plots, 90 minutes of overall fun.
Cheers!
And as time passed, the action moved quite quickly I might add, the plot developed. It manifested into what it wanted to show, and I was intrigued, the story feels real, the action, reactions, consequences, it all fell together lovely.
A small horror that delivered, so I had a good time with it.
Definitely recommendable, for horror fans, for those who prefer children based plots, 90 minutes of overall fun.
Cheers!
Okay but why ?
vassiliskounelis18 January 2023
Okay but why ? When the movie started I was like okay this looks kind of interesting but as the film progressed and then ended it left me with so many questions that I couldn't even enjoyed what I saw...
The atmosphere was missing here and many things seemed not to connect with each other...
I would have liked the film to end somewhere interesting and not just end without any explanation this shows the lack of inspiration and the dryness of their work. It could have been interesting if they had worked on it more or if they had a bigger budget.
I would love it if there was a sequel to explain what happened.
I would love it if there was a sequel to explain what happened.
Do you think there's a semblance of a plot at the bottom of that hole?
Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews18 August 2023
Horror movies in general lack a lot these days. Whether it be a sense of originality, good acting, or genuine spook factor... but it's been a while since I've encountered a movie that lacks this...
There is almost no semblance of a story here. Sure, they gave us a vague background on the characters and it gives us spooky snippets here and there, but... what exactly was the story? What was the plot here? As previously stated, you guessed it... there wasn't one. It kind of blows my mind that this could fully go into production and distributed with such a lack of storytelling. It felt super lazy like someone came up with a proof of concept but had no will or desire to elaborate on anything.
Now, with that being said, it was still a generally entertaining movie. I was intrigued throughout, it just didn't bring me anywhere. I think that said partial success mostly has to do with the acting. I thought the ensemble of the four adults did an excellent job and provided down to earth and relatable performances in a way that I feel like I haven't seen much of. They have a group argument moment at one point and it was *chefs kiss*.
At the end of the day they just wasted some solid potential with lazy storytelling, landing the movie at solidly mediocre. Also a side note, idk what they were doing with the score/sound design... but it wasn't successful... 4.5 rounding up to a 5. As far as the recommendation goes, I'm indifferent.
There is almost no semblance of a story here. Sure, they gave us a vague background on the characters and it gives us spooky snippets here and there, but... what exactly was the story? What was the plot here? As previously stated, you guessed it... there wasn't one. It kind of blows my mind that this could fully go into production and distributed with such a lack of storytelling. It felt super lazy like someone came up with a proof of concept but had no will or desire to elaborate on anything.
Now, with that being said, it was still a generally entertaining movie. I was intrigued throughout, it just didn't bring me anywhere. I think that said partial success mostly has to do with the acting. I thought the ensemble of the four adults did an excellent job and provided down to earth and relatable performances in a way that I feel like I haven't seen much of. They have a group argument moment at one point and it was *chefs kiss*.
At the end of the day they just wasted some solid potential with lazy storytelling, landing the movie at solidly mediocre. Also a side note, idk what they were doing with the score/sound design... but it wasn't successful... 4.5 rounding up to a 5. As far as the recommendation goes, I'm indifferent.
Passes the Time I Guess
zack_gideon18 January 2023
Movie is a standard low budget horror film. Concept is pretty straight forward, kids come back from the woods yada yada yada.
I don't really know what to say about it. I'll forget this movie in an hour or two. I mean I did finish it and it was somewhat interesting overall. The acting and dynamics between the adult characters is well done. The kids also performed well given the material.
I guess I would say if you're looking to online shop or you want to zonk out on the couch and watch something that's not too complicated but somewhat entertaining than this would fit the bill. Not much more to say. 5/10.
I don't really know what to say about it. I'll forget this movie in an hour or two. I mean I did finish it and it was somewhat interesting overall. The acting and dynamics between the adult characters is well done. The kids also performed well given the material.
I guess I would say if you're looking to online shop or you want to zonk out on the couch and watch something that's not too complicated but somewhat entertaining than this would fit the bill. Not much more to say. 5/10.
A below average "Spooky Forest" experience.
TopReviewer19 January 2023
I want to stress that this film is NOT bad, and is definitely worth a watch if you have 90 minutes spare and want to watch something.
The overall plot isn't bad. Its not 100% original, but it doesn't do the spooky forest genre any good.
Character development is at a minimum here.
Its hard to settle on any of the characters and fully be on their side for any reason.
The acting is OK and not bad at all.
My main issue with this movie is the script writing and how they get from A to B when moments of tension hit.
Of course its a Horror Movie and its not supposed to be realistic. But when dealing with Human emotion scenes, some of the outcomes seem so unbelievable, it becomes frustratingly annoying.
Also you have one of those moments where the aggressor shows their true power, but somehow miraculously turns it off later, just so the film can progress.
In my honest opinion, it seems like this movie was made to push an agenda. The way these people were behaving, was just far to annoying given the circumstances they were in "IF" they had any sort of friendship.
I definitely won't watch again.
The overall plot isn't bad. Its not 100% original, but it doesn't do the spooky forest genre any good.
Character development is at a minimum here.
Its hard to settle on any of the characters and fully be on their side for any reason.
The acting is OK and not bad at all.
My main issue with this movie is the script writing and how they get from A to B when moments of tension hit.
Of course its a Horror Movie and its not supposed to be realistic. But when dealing with Human emotion scenes, some of the outcomes seem so unbelievable, it becomes frustratingly annoying.
Also you have one of those moments where the aggressor shows their true power, but somehow miraculously turns it off later, just so the film can progress.
In my honest opinion, it seems like this movie was made to push an agenda. The way these people were behaving, was just far to annoying given the circumstances they were in "IF" they had any sort of friendship.
I definitely won't watch again.
Pretty good B movie if you can overlook the dialogue
david_royz4 February 2023
The premise of the story is good - not 100% original, but done in its own style with some interesting plot lines.
Viewers are asked to ponder whether there's really something sinister going on, or if the main adult character is suffering with mental health issues. This allows for a few nice twists and turns.
The acting is hit and miss, and it isn't helped by some cringeworthy dialogue. There are some jarring moments that will give some viewers secondhand embarrassment. But if you can overlook these, there's an interesting film that is quite well paced.
The music is different. It's either silent or very loud. I rather enjoyed it but understand why some find it distracting.
Viewers are asked to ponder whether there's really something sinister going on, or if the main adult character is suffering with mental health issues. This allows for a few nice twists and turns.
The acting is hit and miss, and it isn't helped by some cringeworthy dialogue. There are some jarring moments that will give some viewers secondhand embarrassment. But if you can overlook these, there's an interesting film that is quite well paced.
The music is different. It's either silent or very loud. I rather enjoyed it but understand why some find it distracting.
Frustrating when it should be scary.
psychofox-885116 February 2023
I wouldn't call this a bad movie overall. The acting, direction and cinematography are all fine, but I just found the film painful to watch.
The biggest issue for me is that the protagonists just make the wrong - and often stupid - choices at every possible opportunity. Even when the plot suggests a character has done the right thing, common sense dictates that they could have made a smarter choice.
This is especially obvious in the later half if the movie, when even characters who seem to have figured out what is happening do things that make no sense to anyone who isn't following a script.
I just found the entire movie to be a frustrating, shout-at-the-screen experience that ruined the potential enjoyment of some of the ideas the film had to play with.
Ultimately, I want a horror film to make me feel tense and anxious, not angry and frustrated.
The biggest issue for me is that the protagonists just make the wrong - and often stupid - choices at every possible opportunity. Even when the plot suggests a character has done the right thing, common sense dictates that they could have made a smarter choice.
This is especially obvious in the later half if the movie, when even characters who seem to have figured out what is happening do things that make no sense to anyone who isn't following a script.
I just found the entire movie to be a frustrating, shout-at-the-screen experience that ruined the potential enjoyment of some of the ideas the film had to play with.
Ultimately, I want a horror film to make me feel tense and anxious, not angry and frustrated.
Good movie beyond my expectation
olcayozfirat28 January 2023
Horror movie released in 2023. Although I didn't have any expectations from the movie, I think it was pretty good as a horror movie. I recommend that you do not rely on the low rating. The tension that builds up gradually in the movie is very nice.
To give information on the subject, there are two couples. One of them has 2 children. Together they come to the camp house in the woods. Houses are separate. While hiking together in the woods, they see an old building. When they enter it, there is a large pit with no end in it. There's something going on with the kids here. Their behavior is getting weird.
Until a certain point in the movie, there is an uncertainty as to whether there is something strange in the children or the man they haunt. I liked the acting and the thriller and horror elements in the movie. I was pleased that it met my expectations while watching hopelessly.
The music playing at the end of the movie is amazing. Music, Inferno Rebels by Fotocrime.
There is no sex or nudity in the movie. There are occasional sexual conversations.
To give information on the subject, there are two couples. One of them has 2 children. Together they come to the camp house in the woods. Houses are separate. While hiking together in the woods, they see an old building. When they enter it, there is a large pit with no end in it. There's something going on with the kids here. Their behavior is getting weird.
Until a certain point in the movie, there is an uncertainty as to whether there is something strange in the children or the man they haunt. I liked the acting and the thriller and horror elements in the movie. I was pleased that it met my expectations while watching hopelessly.
The music playing at the end of the movie is amazing. Music, Inferno Rebels by Fotocrime.
There is no sex or nudity in the movie. There are occasional sexual conversations.
My God. Village of the damned was better
chrisantalorance24 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
It started off as something interesting. But you got parents and adult figures drinking the entire movie. Somehow the husband randomly has a mental problem. And the ending made absolutely no sense. Ruining the ending. She tosses the children into the Abyss? Then walks all the way to the cabin. Somehow the kids dad is alive. And she drives off the the main road no car in sight. However she decides now is a perfect time to pull off the road literally 150 ft from the side road she came off. And then sees her husband and the 2 creepy ass kids. So she runs them over? Boom. It's over. That's the rundown. Oh and they are bugs.
Cool AF
aking-8175127 February 2023
It's an original idea and it's not pretending to be anything other than a cut n dry horror movie. It's fun to watch. Anyone canning this movie is a miserable prick that just wants attention for their complete lack of contribution to culture or life generally.
There's a few decent lump in throat scenes and the actors are all mostly recognisable and have all been notable features in other films/series. It's a Blumhouse production. They're not translating Crime & Punishment. They're trying to do something creepy and original and they succeeded. If you don't agree with me that's fine. I'm not the failed film student, trawling IMDB to write misery laden reviews because I haven't had an original thought. Just watch the movie and have a good time!
There's a few decent lump in throat scenes and the actors are all mostly recognisable and have all been notable features in other films/series. It's a Blumhouse production. They're not translating Crime & Punishment. They're trying to do something creepy and original and they succeeded. If you don't agree with me that's fine. I'm not the failed film student, trawling IMDB to write misery laden reviews because I haven't had an original thought. Just watch the movie and have a good time!
Solid Set Up and Elements, Not Enough to Set It Apart
Reviews_of_the_Dead7 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is a movie that I heard about through other podcasts. It is one of the earlier releases for 2023 so people were checking it out. I put it on a list that I would get to if I had the chance. This ended up working well though for February. We have a woman director in Roxanne Benjamin so it counts for Women Appreciation. Our star is Alisha Wainwright, who is a Black woman, which is why it was originally selected. I like creepy kid or children in peril movies so that intrigued me as well.
Synopsis: a family takes a weekend trip with longtime friends and their two young children. They suspect something supernatural when the kids behave strangely after disappearing into the woods overnight.
This synopsis is a bit misleading, but I'll get back to that. We do have the two couples as it said. Margaret Winslow (Wainwright) is with Ben (Zach Gilford) and their joined by Ellie (Amanda Crew) and Thomas (Carlos Santos). They have the two children, Lucy (Briella Guiza) and Spencer (David Mattle). They're all staying in two cabins. From our opening sequence, there is tension between Ellie and Thomas.
We will learn later that it stems from a swinging event that didn't go as planned. There is mistrust between them. Margaret and Ben do what they can to smooth things over. This involves everyone going on a hike into the woods. They come upon a large structure. They explore it and within they find a hole in a wall. When they explore inside, they find a pit. It is deep and they aren't sure how deep. Lucy and Spencer look into the void and become entranced. They make a statement about how bright it is, but none of the adults seem to notice.
This couple also does something else to help. They allow the two kids to stay the night in their cabin to give their parents alone time. The next morning when they're making breakfast, our couple notices the children are gone. Ben goes back to the structure where he finds them jump into the pit. This disorients him as he doesn't know how to tell their parents. The problem is when he returns back, the kids come running out of their parents' cabin.
Ben and Margert decide not to tell them what Ben thought he saw. There is an underlying issue there. Relationships become strained when things are revealed and Ben doesn't trust the children. They isolate him and say things that upset him. Not being a parent, he doesn't handle it well. When one of the kids is harmed in Ben's care, the tension ramps up even more.
That should be enough to recap the story and introduce the characters. Where I want to start is with the set up. I love the idea of taking these two families and isolating them in the woods. We have a small cast of characters that I've named plus a park ranger that shows up. The tension ramps up there as something happens to one of the children and it takes a long time for help to arrive. As a new parent this terrifies me. I live in the city so the response time is fast. It is relayed that around an hour for them to get there. When they're exploring this structure, that was one of the things that I thought of as well. I thought this adds to the atmosphere.
Then from there, another element is the four adults. What I like about them is that they feel like old friends. I gather that Margaret and Ellie were college or even high school friends. They've been through a lot and know so much about each other. When things get tense, you know things to say that will hurt the other person. I like it to add to things here since I have friends like this. I've also seen them blow up and use these memories in hurtful ways, me included. They also share things they probably shouldn't and share them with their significant other. Another aspect is that Ellie and Thomas got married and had children right after college. They've been parents for a while. Margaret is on the fence if she wants children. Ben seems like he might, but deferred to her so he's on board with not. It doesn't seem like they actually talked about it though. Another issue is when things get bad involving the children, Ellie and Thomas cut deep with the others since they don't know what it is like.
Where I then want to go over to the entity in this one. The children get entranced with this hole in the structure they find. They see lights at the end. From here, I'd say that we go a bit Lovecraftian. The surface level you could say it is similar to Stephen King with IT. It is almost like the dead lights. The children want to go back and they start to act weird. What I like though is that they're being secretive with it. They isolate someone and then gaslight them. When the parents snap, it makes their parents question the adults. There is something with dead bugs here and the entity seems insect like. I would like to know a bit more about it, but I think what we get is good enough to be honest.
I think that's enough for the story. Let me then go to the acting. I think that the cast is solid. No one is great, but they feel real enough which works. Wainwright is good as our lead. Crew is solid as her friend. They do feel like old friends. Santos is decent. What I like about him is that he's the 'rock'. He is a good dad and having issues with Ellie. He also butts heads with Ben when he scolds his children. Gilford also works. My issue with him is that they introduce a mental illness angle. It feels like they needed to add more and it wasn't needed. Other than that, Guiza and Mattle are solid as the children as well. They play up those annoying aspects well and I appreciated it for how it works in the confines of the story. The only other person is Ramona Tyler as the park ranger. She worked there.
All that is left then would be with the filmmaking. The cinematography is good. The setting works. I like the isolated feel there and being in the middle of the woods. The structure they find is interesting as well. I'd like to know more about that to be honest or what it was hiding. There aren't a lot in the way of effects. What we get are fine. I'm assuming there is CGI, but they do well to hide it. There is blood and that looked real so I give credit there. Other than that, the soundtrack fit for what was needed without necessarily to stand out.
In conclusion, this movie is fine. I think we get good aspects to it. This is a changeling type story that has definite Lovecraftian vibes. Placing in this in a cabin in the woods is good. I like the isolation and the tension that comes with it. The acting is solid across the board. This is well-made. It just is lacking going to the upper echelon. It doesn't go far enough for me to go higher than what I am. That's not to say though that this is bad. It just becomes a bit generic when it needed more.
My Rating: 6.5 out of 10.
Synopsis: a family takes a weekend trip with longtime friends and their two young children. They suspect something supernatural when the kids behave strangely after disappearing into the woods overnight.
This synopsis is a bit misleading, but I'll get back to that. We do have the two couples as it said. Margaret Winslow (Wainwright) is with Ben (Zach Gilford) and their joined by Ellie (Amanda Crew) and Thomas (Carlos Santos). They have the two children, Lucy (Briella Guiza) and Spencer (David Mattle). They're all staying in two cabins. From our opening sequence, there is tension between Ellie and Thomas.
We will learn later that it stems from a swinging event that didn't go as planned. There is mistrust between them. Margaret and Ben do what they can to smooth things over. This involves everyone going on a hike into the woods. They come upon a large structure. They explore it and within they find a hole in a wall. When they explore inside, they find a pit. It is deep and they aren't sure how deep. Lucy and Spencer look into the void and become entranced. They make a statement about how bright it is, but none of the adults seem to notice.
This couple also does something else to help. They allow the two kids to stay the night in their cabin to give their parents alone time. The next morning when they're making breakfast, our couple notices the children are gone. Ben goes back to the structure where he finds them jump into the pit. This disorients him as he doesn't know how to tell their parents. The problem is when he returns back, the kids come running out of their parents' cabin.
Ben and Margert decide not to tell them what Ben thought he saw. There is an underlying issue there. Relationships become strained when things are revealed and Ben doesn't trust the children. They isolate him and say things that upset him. Not being a parent, he doesn't handle it well. When one of the kids is harmed in Ben's care, the tension ramps up even more.
That should be enough to recap the story and introduce the characters. Where I want to start is with the set up. I love the idea of taking these two families and isolating them in the woods. We have a small cast of characters that I've named plus a park ranger that shows up. The tension ramps up there as something happens to one of the children and it takes a long time for help to arrive. As a new parent this terrifies me. I live in the city so the response time is fast. It is relayed that around an hour for them to get there. When they're exploring this structure, that was one of the things that I thought of as well. I thought this adds to the atmosphere.
Then from there, another element is the four adults. What I like about them is that they feel like old friends. I gather that Margaret and Ellie were college or even high school friends. They've been through a lot and know so much about each other. When things get tense, you know things to say that will hurt the other person. I like it to add to things here since I have friends like this. I've also seen them blow up and use these memories in hurtful ways, me included. They also share things they probably shouldn't and share them with their significant other. Another aspect is that Ellie and Thomas got married and had children right after college. They've been parents for a while. Margaret is on the fence if she wants children. Ben seems like he might, but deferred to her so he's on board with not. It doesn't seem like they actually talked about it though. Another issue is when things get bad involving the children, Ellie and Thomas cut deep with the others since they don't know what it is like.
Where I then want to go over to the entity in this one. The children get entranced with this hole in the structure they find. They see lights at the end. From here, I'd say that we go a bit Lovecraftian. The surface level you could say it is similar to Stephen King with IT. It is almost like the dead lights. The children want to go back and they start to act weird. What I like though is that they're being secretive with it. They isolate someone and then gaslight them. When the parents snap, it makes their parents question the adults. There is something with dead bugs here and the entity seems insect like. I would like to know a bit more about it, but I think what we get is good enough to be honest.
I think that's enough for the story. Let me then go to the acting. I think that the cast is solid. No one is great, but they feel real enough which works. Wainwright is good as our lead. Crew is solid as her friend. They do feel like old friends. Santos is decent. What I like about him is that he's the 'rock'. He is a good dad and having issues with Ellie. He also butts heads with Ben when he scolds his children. Gilford also works. My issue with him is that they introduce a mental illness angle. It feels like they needed to add more and it wasn't needed. Other than that, Guiza and Mattle are solid as the children as well. They play up those annoying aspects well and I appreciated it for how it works in the confines of the story. The only other person is Ramona Tyler as the park ranger. She worked there.
All that is left then would be with the filmmaking. The cinematography is good. The setting works. I like the isolated feel there and being in the middle of the woods. The structure they find is interesting as well. I'd like to know more about that to be honest or what it was hiding. There aren't a lot in the way of effects. What we get are fine. I'm assuming there is CGI, but they do well to hide it. There is blood and that looked real so I give credit there. Other than that, the soundtrack fit for what was needed without necessarily to stand out.
In conclusion, this movie is fine. I think we get good aspects to it. This is a changeling type story that has definite Lovecraftian vibes. Placing in this in a cabin in the woods is good. I like the isolation and the tension that comes with it. The acting is solid across the board. This is well-made. It just is lacking going to the upper echelon. It doesn't go far enough for me to go higher than what I am. That's not to say though that this is bad. It just becomes a bit generic when it needed more.
My Rating: 6.5 out of 10.
Doesn't make any sense
nicolemoscinski20 June 2023
I gave three stars for the soundtrack which I loved. I am an avid horror movie lover but just found the premise boring and dull. Dialogue was pretty garbage. Kids just annoyed me. Great movie if you want to remind yourself to take birth control. Movie was underwhelming and seems to have a low budget. There wasn't much build up and all of a sudden complete chaos happens! Movie doesn't explain why things start happening at all which confused you like crazy. They could've maybe done a flashback to give some sort of backstory to explain why these things happened and why it's happening now... it just doesn't make any sense.
Sucked
arosel-5477412 February 2023
Actually sucked. Don't waste your time watching this. The plot wasn't good, the music sucked too, and don't even get me started on the ending. Watched this on my amazon box for free. If I went to the movie theatres and PAID to see this I would be beyond disappointed and upset. It's literally if a bunch of first year film
makers were assigned to make a movie and wrote the entire thing 30 minutes before they had to hand it in. You couldn't pay me enough to watch this again. The only thing that was SEMI okay was the acting. Still, this movie is super bad. I love horror but this movie is such an embarrassment to the genre.
Another Blumhouse letdown....
FreeSpirit6811 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
***WARNING - MAJOR SPOILERS***
My hubby played the trailer for me, and it looked interesting. I've liked a number of Blumhouse movies, so I said, "sure, why not?". And I have to tell you that 2 minute trailer was the best 2 minutes of the whole thing.
What did they get right? The scenery. It was a nice looking place to rent for a weekend getaway. What did they get wrong? Pretty much everything else. Don't continue if you want to watch with an open mind and not get spoilers.
For starters, Ben, Margo, Ellie and Thomas are there as a group for the weekend. Ellie and Thomas brought their kids, Lucy and Spencer. Ben and Margo are childless but they like their friends' kids. So you'd think as a friend/family getaway they'd want to have fun but also be mindful of the safety of these minors. However, there is a LOT of alcohol flowing. I suspect the mom, Ellie, is an alcoholic. And Margo vapes pot, though it's not around the kids. But to have all that weed, wine and beer at a family-friendly vacay is off-putting and unnecessary.
Then there's the relationship between parents Ellie and Thomas. They seem to be a happy couple, but then are frequently snarky. Well, at least Ellie is. The tension between them is palpable, and my own kids believe that they are present that weekend to be a family, but mom and dad are in the midst of a separation or divorce. Yes, the relationship seems that strained.
The following day, though, they have a hike planned. Hooray! Maybe some physical activity (marked with Ellie bringing gin & tonic in a water bottle) will make those endorphins kick in and there will be happiness. The group goes down an established trail, but at some point the area is overgrown and no longer hike-worthy. Do they turn around and go back? Nope, Ben wants to see if the trail picks up again on the other side of this thick brush so he chops away. Love and behold, there is an abandoned, crumbling building! It clearly looks unsafe, so of course the smart thing to do is to explore it. They come across a deep pit with no bottom in sight, where these youngsters are allowed to peer into it. Yeah, no chance the ground could be unstable and they could fall in.
Well, exploration time is done, so let's regroup at the rental compound. While Ben and Thomas are having guy time outside, Ellie and Margo are in one of the cabins, drinking again, while Ellie explains why she and Thomas are awkwardly being snippy. She explains, at length, that they had a foursome with their other friends, Kyle and Katie. It's not so much that they had a swinger's night, so much as it was that Ellie had a mind-blowing experience with Kyle, but it wasn't the same for Thomas and Katie. So, it's awkward because it was such a great thing for Ellie that she felt like it was cheating. In response, Margo tries to help by offering to keep the kids in her cabin so the parents can have a night to themselves.
From here, the movie nosedives. It's discovered the next morning the kids aren't anywhere around. Ben frantically returns to the old building since the kids were obsessed with the "el brilliante" light only they could see in the pit the day before. He witnesses the brother and sister fling themselves into it. Oh, no! He's so horrified by this he takes his time shambling back to the cabins, talking to Margo on his cell phone, trying to explain, weirdly, what happened. But fear not! As he reaches the perimeter of the camp site, the kids are there, running around and safe!
The remainder of this film brings us the kids becoming stranger and stranger, initially only to Ben as the other 3 adults don't see the change in the kiddos. But it's disclosed that Ben has mental health issues and is on Lithium. It doesn't touch on what those issues are. However, since the weird behavior seems evident only to the crazy guy, he wants to convince the rest of the group he isn't, in fact, crazy about THIS. That's when he finally reveals that while Ellie and Thomas were having morning nookie, he watched the kids swandive into the darkness, but they didn't initially tell the parents their kids were even missing because they didn't want to worry them. Cue all the in-fighting, verbal smears, and accusations!
You'd think all this animosity would lead to at least cutting the weekend short and having the parents take their precious youths home, away from the nutcase that declared he witnessed their demise. But, nope, they hung around long enough for the siblings to do one more assault on poor Ben, who winds up killing little Spencer! Mortified, Thomas makes a call to the authorities, only to be told someone will show up IN A FEW HOURS.
Instead of taking matters into their own hands, piling everyone up into one vehicle, and transporting the dead child and his killer to law enforcement themselves, they elect to hang around the scene of the crime. Ellie sits by the body of her son, weeping, until the child suddenly comes back to life. Margo finally realizes Ben was right all along, after she enters the cabin to discover her friend brutally attacked, and witnesses her die. The perp is revealed to be her own child, who's shadow is shown to be insect-like, though we never actually get to see the creature itself, as the child transforms back to normal, conveniently.
Eventually, a park ranger (not even a cop) shows up, confused about who the victim is. After entering the premises, she finds the body of the mangled mom. But before she can call for backup, or do anything really, she's become the next victim. The rest happens quickly, giving the end a very rushed feeling, just to basically wrap up the whole thing. The kids subdue Margo, take her and the dead adults back to the pit, and somewhere in all this haphazard mess, it's discovered that whatever these mysterious insect creatures are, they intend to make more of themselves. Margo wakes up in the old building, and after seeing the convenient victim of the ranger being tossed into the pit, she manages to get the jump on the bug-kids and pushes THEM into it! Yay!
After having fought off her own possessed mate, and now the killer kiddos, she tries to make her escape. But wait, there's more! Before she can get away, Ben/bug shows back up before she can hightail it out of there. Hold on, Thomas finally shows up from, wait, where HAS he been since his son was killed? Anyway, he fights off Ben so Margo can make her escape. Freedom! She drives away, but for some reason feels the need to pull off onto the side of the road to let loose a primal scream! Once done, she looks up, and, dammit! There are Lucy, Spencer and Ben! The threesome hold hands, because playing Red Rover will surely keep her from getting very far. As for Margo, she guns the engine and heads straight for them. Because obviously throwing them into a bottomless pit wasn't enough to take them out, but knocking them over like bowling pins will do the trick. Is she finally victorious? Well, we don't know, because just as the SUV is about to make impact, the film stops.
By the way, it's never explained what the creatures are, where they originally came from, what their intentions were (other than to reproduce), how long they've been here, etc. The filmmakers spent more time on the orgy conversation then on the protagonists themselves. Plus, the creatures are supposedly insects, but Spencer beats some insects into mush with a rock AFTER he turns into one of them? I don't understand that. In fact, there's a lot about this movie I didn't understand. Normally I'd rewatch something to look deeper into it if I'm left perplexed, but I can't make myself sit through this again.
So, if you made it this far and still decide to watch it, don't say I didn't warn you. Although I'd recommend viewing it with some of your own alcoholic beverages...
My hubby played the trailer for me, and it looked interesting. I've liked a number of Blumhouse movies, so I said, "sure, why not?". And I have to tell you that 2 minute trailer was the best 2 minutes of the whole thing.
What did they get right? The scenery. It was a nice looking place to rent for a weekend getaway. What did they get wrong? Pretty much everything else. Don't continue if you want to watch with an open mind and not get spoilers.
For starters, Ben, Margo, Ellie and Thomas are there as a group for the weekend. Ellie and Thomas brought their kids, Lucy and Spencer. Ben and Margo are childless but they like their friends' kids. So you'd think as a friend/family getaway they'd want to have fun but also be mindful of the safety of these minors. However, there is a LOT of alcohol flowing. I suspect the mom, Ellie, is an alcoholic. And Margo vapes pot, though it's not around the kids. But to have all that weed, wine and beer at a family-friendly vacay is off-putting and unnecessary.
Then there's the relationship between parents Ellie and Thomas. They seem to be a happy couple, but then are frequently snarky. Well, at least Ellie is. The tension between them is palpable, and my own kids believe that they are present that weekend to be a family, but mom and dad are in the midst of a separation or divorce. Yes, the relationship seems that strained.
The following day, though, they have a hike planned. Hooray! Maybe some physical activity (marked with Ellie bringing gin & tonic in a water bottle) will make those endorphins kick in and there will be happiness. The group goes down an established trail, but at some point the area is overgrown and no longer hike-worthy. Do they turn around and go back? Nope, Ben wants to see if the trail picks up again on the other side of this thick brush so he chops away. Love and behold, there is an abandoned, crumbling building! It clearly looks unsafe, so of course the smart thing to do is to explore it. They come across a deep pit with no bottom in sight, where these youngsters are allowed to peer into it. Yeah, no chance the ground could be unstable and they could fall in.
Well, exploration time is done, so let's regroup at the rental compound. While Ben and Thomas are having guy time outside, Ellie and Margo are in one of the cabins, drinking again, while Ellie explains why she and Thomas are awkwardly being snippy. She explains, at length, that they had a foursome with their other friends, Kyle and Katie. It's not so much that they had a swinger's night, so much as it was that Ellie had a mind-blowing experience with Kyle, but it wasn't the same for Thomas and Katie. So, it's awkward because it was such a great thing for Ellie that she felt like it was cheating. In response, Margo tries to help by offering to keep the kids in her cabin so the parents can have a night to themselves.
From here, the movie nosedives. It's discovered the next morning the kids aren't anywhere around. Ben frantically returns to the old building since the kids were obsessed with the "el brilliante" light only they could see in the pit the day before. He witnesses the brother and sister fling themselves into it. Oh, no! He's so horrified by this he takes his time shambling back to the cabins, talking to Margo on his cell phone, trying to explain, weirdly, what happened. But fear not! As he reaches the perimeter of the camp site, the kids are there, running around and safe!
The remainder of this film brings us the kids becoming stranger and stranger, initially only to Ben as the other 3 adults don't see the change in the kiddos. But it's disclosed that Ben has mental health issues and is on Lithium. It doesn't touch on what those issues are. However, since the weird behavior seems evident only to the crazy guy, he wants to convince the rest of the group he isn't, in fact, crazy about THIS. That's when he finally reveals that while Ellie and Thomas were having morning nookie, he watched the kids swandive into the darkness, but they didn't initially tell the parents their kids were even missing because they didn't want to worry them. Cue all the in-fighting, verbal smears, and accusations!
You'd think all this animosity would lead to at least cutting the weekend short and having the parents take their precious youths home, away from the nutcase that declared he witnessed their demise. But, nope, they hung around long enough for the siblings to do one more assault on poor Ben, who winds up killing little Spencer! Mortified, Thomas makes a call to the authorities, only to be told someone will show up IN A FEW HOURS.
Instead of taking matters into their own hands, piling everyone up into one vehicle, and transporting the dead child and his killer to law enforcement themselves, they elect to hang around the scene of the crime. Ellie sits by the body of her son, weeping, until the child suddenly comes back to life. Margo finally realizes Ben was right all along, after she enters the cabin to discover her friend brutally attacked, and witnesses her die. The perp is revealed to be her own child, who's shadow is shown to be insect-like, though we never actually get to see the creature itself, as the child transforms back to normal, conveniently.
Eventually, a park ranger (not even a cop) shows up, confused about who the victim is. After entering the premises, she finds the body of the mangled mom. But before she can call for backup, or do anything really, she's become the next victim. The rest happens quickly, giving the end a very rushed feeling, just to basically wrap up the whole thing. The kids subdue Margo, take her and the dead adults back to the pit, and somewhere in all this haphazard mess, it's discovered that whatever these mysterious insect creatures are, they intend to make more of themselves. Margo wakes up in the old building, and after seeing the convenient victim of the ranger being tossed into the pit, she manages to get the jump on the bug-kids and pushes THEM into it! Yay!
After having fought off her own possessed mate, and now the killer kiddos, she tries to make her escape. But wait, there's more! Before she can get away, Ben/bug shows back up before she can hightail it out of there. Hold on, Thomas finally shows up from, wait, where HAS he been since his son was killed? Anyway, he fights off Ben so Margo can make her escape. Freedom! She drives away, but for some reason feels the need to pull off onto the side of the road to let loose a primal scream! Once done, she looks up, and, dammit! There are Lucy, Spencer and Ben! The threesome hold hands, because playing Red Rover will surely keep her from getting very far. As for Margo, she guns the engine and heads straight for them. Because obviously throwing them into a bottomless pit wasn't enough to take them out, but knocking them over like bowling pins will do the trick. Is she finally victorious? Well, we don't know, because just as the SUV is about to make impact, the film stops.
By the way, it's never explained what the creatures are, where they originally came from, what their intentions were (other than to reproduce), how long they've been here, etc. The filmmakers spent more time on the orgy conversation then on the protagonists themselves. Plus, the creatures are supposedly insects, but Spencer beats some insects into mush with a rock AFTER he turns into one of them? I don't understand that. In fact, there's a lot about this movie I didn't understand. Normally I'd rewatch something to look deeper into it if I'm left perplexed, but I can't make myself sit through this again.
So, if you made it this far and still decide to watch it, don't say I didn't warn you. Although I'd recommend viewing it with some of your own alcoholic beverages...
See also
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