Film Review: THE PRODIGY (2019)

Sarah and John Blume (Taylor Schilling and Peter Mooney, respectfully) are about to be very happy new parents at the start of the film The Prodigy (2019).  Unfortunately for them, a serial killer is killed at the exact same time as their child is born.  As their son Miles (Jackson Robert Scott) grows order he starts to display strange and unusual behavior.  He not only grows up to be far more intelligent than most children but he also has a vile sense of violence that comes to a head when he assaults a fellow student.  Prompted by a specialist, Sarah begins that there is a supernatural reason for her son’s strange behavior which is solidified when he starts talking in his sleep in an another language.

Sarah learns that her son’s body may be inhabited by another spirit and she has a limited amount of time to get the spirit out of her son before her son’s spirit is gone for good.  The film is written by Jeff Buhler and directed by Nicholas McCarthy and they try really hard to present this old idea in new ways but it just simply lacks the drive of better thrillers.

Performances all around are actually quite good but the material itself just doesn’t break any new ground in terms of similar horror films and even with the R-rating the film lacks any real punch in terms of gore.  General audiences may not mind the ride as it is a solidly made film but horror fans may not feel up for the lack of any new ideas or something to say.

Film Review: THE PACT (2012)

Familial terror rises in the horror film The Pact (2012).  Written & directed by Nicholas McCarthy the film is about Annie (Caity Lotz) whose sister Nichole (Agnes Bruckner) disappears not long after moving into the home of their recently deceased mother.  When her cousin also disappears she sets off on discovering what happened to them but the secrets that lie within her family home are darker and deeper than she could have ever imagined. 

I actually found myself really enjoying this film.  The script is very well written with flawed let relatable characters with a very good cast.  Bridger Nielson is the director of photography and the look of the film plays a tremendous part in creating the mood and atmosphere.  This is McCarthy’s debut feature after several shorts (including one for this film) and it’s already apparent that he knows how to craft a horror film built around character and an atmosphere of dread.  It will be interesting to see where he goes from here (he’s already directed another feature At the Devil’s Door, 2014, which I have yet to see).

The film works because Lotz does a great job creating a relatable character who is not only grieving for a lost mother but the disappearance of an estranged sister as well.  It’s about her character trying to come to grips with a really screwed up family.  Even the presence of the supernatural doesn’t take away from the film or make these elements seem cliché.  Haley Hudson plays Stevie, someone who can speak with the dead who helps Annie discover the truth about her family.  Hudson steals every scene she’s in but never overshadows the rest of the film.  The same can be said for actor Casper Van Dien who plays the only detective that believes Annie’s story.

This is a very good film with a few surprises that’s both suspenseful and entertaining.