Please Don't Feed the Children

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Matthew S Please Don’t Feed the Children, directed by Destry Allyn Spielberg, is an ambitious genre-blend that aims high but doesn’t always stick the landing. Set in a dystopian near-future where a virus has wiped out the adult population and children are blamed and hunted, the film moves from a survival road trip into a hostage thriller with a creepy edge. The production is anchored by a standout performance from Michelle Dockery, whose turn as the seemingly welcoming, and then terrifying, woman the orphans find gives the film much of its tension and intrigue. The young cast, led by Zoe Colletti, shows flashes of promise, and the premise itself is strong. What the film nails is atmosphere: the fear of being hunted, the fragile alliances between survivors, the sudden shift from hope to horror. But where it stumbles is in follow-through: the world-building feels thin, many plot decisions lean convenient, and the tonal shifts sometimes leave the narrative feeling uneven. As one reviewer put it, the film “starts strong and remains highly-charged throughout” but ultimately becomes “window-dressing for a reverse home-invasion thriller.” For a directorial debut, there’s a lot to respect here, especially the way Spielberg shows she’s comfortable with visual composition and suspense. If she hones the storytelling side next time, I’m genuinely curious what she’ll bring. For now, Please Don’t Feed the Children is a watchable mid-tier genre piece with a high-concept hook and one very strong performance. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/09/25 Full Review Darren D Destry Allyn Spielberg's feature length debut "Please Don't Feed the Children" is a middle of the road movie that comes off like Misery in a dystopian setting & an element of 70s/80s survival horror that can't shake the feeling it's trapped in a bad YA movie. The story gets interesting once it passes the opening 10 to 15 minutes & that's when it introduces Clara (Michelle Dockery). The curiosity & suspense started to build with the direction not showing its cards early, yet despite that the story is held back by character decisions from the teenagers when they're given many chances to survive. This isn't a complaint I like picking up on, but it's too noticeable not to & it's just anticlimactic with the final act. Michelle Dockery is easily the highlight. Dockery doesn't oversell her performance as the film's antagonist. Also, I'm interested in seeing what Destry Allyn Spielberg does next especially when giving more to work with. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/07/25 Full Review Paula Isabel R Why so many people involved in this project allowed the story to have so many flaws. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/29/25 Full Review Gustavo A The characters made multiple dumb choices, this was not a good movie, it could be a an episode of a TV show at most (strictly speaking about the story; there was some good acting). Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 09/29/25 Full Review Jeffrey P The global infectious outbreak subplot wasn’t relevant, or at least didn’t need to be revealed in the first five minutes. It probably would have been better to reveal that as a twist to liven things up since the story was slower paced and not the most original. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/20/25 Full Review Becks A It was okay. Not my favourite, but definitely worth a watch. I didn't really find myself bonding with any particular characters save for the detective. A really good idea with a slightly drier result than I think they were aiming for. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/05/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Please Don't Feed the Children

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