The Children

R

2008

1 hr. 24 min.

Horror

List

76%

17 Reviews

Tomatometer

50%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Two families gather at an upscale English estate in late December. Elaine (Eva Birthistle) and her sister, Chloe (Rachel Shelley), along with their husbands and children, are set for a weekend of family bonding and winter fun. But when they arrive, one of the children becomes sick, and all of the children exhibit strange behavior. The adults don't realize the disturbing truth until it's too late: The children have contracted a disease that has turned them into brutal, psychotic killers.

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Critics Consensus

Unsettling and spine-chilling low-budget British horror, with effective and disturbing scares.

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Chris

It wasn't perfect, but nearly. I'm wondering if the writers came up with the idea after a holiday visit with bratty nieces and nephews. It is very well acted and disturbing without being overly gory (it's gory enough). About ten minutes from the conclusion, I heard myself saying, "wow."

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/13/24

Full Review

Patricia D

This movie is awesome! If you're a fan of horror movies, you must see it!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/23/23

Full Review

Patrick C

I was surprised how scary this was! And not in a supernatural way. This is a really gory and shocking movie. I honestly can't even believe they went there. My blood pressure was through the roof watching this. I was already pretty sure I didn't want kids, now I'm positive! Great movie and very effective birth control.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/12/23

Full Review

Elle W

Very very creepy. Perfect anti-Christmas movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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daniele u

Children are evil, teenagers are so hot.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An extremely stupid annoying film that seems to take itself seriously for some reason. The adults are incompetent to the point of unintentional comedy, the children are rarely frightening and are usually only a threat because of the aforementioned incompetence. Oh and the first half of the film is full of the little kid characters screaming constantly, it literally gave me a headache. I could only understand like 75% of what was being said because of the rapid-fire let's-not-enunciate-anything British accents. The only enjoyment I got out this was watching these extremely dumb characters die in ridiculous ways where they basically defeated themselves, good for some laughs, and I guess the cinematography was decent. The film STRUGGLES to get to an 80 minute runtime, but thank god it wasn't longer, how TF does this utter GARBAGE have so many positive reviews on RT?

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

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Tom Shankland

Director

Eva Birthistle

Elaine

Raffiella Brooks

Leah

Stephen Campbell Moore

Jonah

Jake Hathaway

Nicky

William Howes

Paulie

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Anna Smith

Empire Magazine

Borrowing liberally from classic evil-children horrors, the gruesome deaths are inventive, but this is more about killer set-pieces than a satisfying story. A respectable genre outing.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 5, 2008

Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

Shankland's approach is oblique rather than graphic, but these icy chills will send shivers down your spine.

Rated: 4/6

Dec 5, 2008

Full Review

James Christopher

Times (UK)

The grown-ups, rather hysterically, blame each others' parenting skills. The plot promptly disintegrates into a gory struggle for credibility against appalling odds.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 5, 2008

Full Review

Scott Weinberg

TheHorrorShow

A solid balance between set-up, conflict, and horrific execution. Just a well-made horror film all around.

Aug 28, 2015

Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

All build and no bang.

Oct 18, 2013

Full Review

R.L. Shaffer

IGN DVD

The Children is a surprisingly tense, slow-brewing horror film that plays on current trends (rabid flu-like infections) and refreshes old clichéd conventions (killer children).

Rated: 9/10

Oct 16, 2010

Full Review

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Synopsis

Two families gather at an upscale English estate in late December. Elaine (Eva Birthistle) and her sister, Chloe (Rachel Shelley), along with their husbands and children, are set for a weekend of family bonding and winter fun. But when they arrive, one of the children becomes sick, and all of the children exhibit strange behavior. The adults don't realize the disturbing truth until it's too late: The children have contracted a disease that has turned them into brutal, psychotic killers.

Director: Tom Shankland
Executive Producer: Rupert Preston
Screenwriter: Tom Shankland, Paul Andrew Williams
Production Co: Vertigo Films
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Bloody Violent Cont|Brief Drug Use|Terror)
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2012

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