“Children of the Corn” Movie Review: It Could Have Been Better, A Lot Better

Children of the Corn
Martin Cid Martin Cid

Children of the Corn is a new adaptation of Stephen King‘s novel, this time by Shudder and directed by Kurt Wimmer.

An adaptation shaped for the modern “sensibility” towards King’s novel, which raises philosophical questions about whether “any time in the past was better”.

I have never read such negative reviews about a film.

Movie Review

Could they have saved themselves the effort of making it? The answer is a resounding “yes”. It’s just another horror telefilm and which with this supposed regeneration of the tale – without covering any new ground – loses almost everything quitessential from the novel and destroys everything that the 1984 film had about it that was good.

Children of the Corn
Children of the Corn

En cuanto a ambientación y cinematografía: los recurrentes trucos modernos que, aderezado con algún susto ochentero, la convierten en más o menos pasable. Suponemos que está destinada a un público mayoritariamente juvenil que, sin conocer ni la novela ni la adaptación previa ni la crítica de la razón pura kantiana, pueden considerarla un buen entretenimiento, pero es demasiado fácil en cuanto a factura, elementos y producción.

In terms of setting and cinematography: it contains recurring modern tricks that, seasoned with a few eighties-style scares, make it more or less tolerable. We assume that it is intended for a mostly young audience who, neither knowing  the novel nor the previous adaptation, nor the critique of Kantian pure reason, may consider it good entertainment, but it is too simplistic in terms of workmanship, elements and production.

A B-series product that focuses more on macabre scenes than on building an interesting story. Having a good story and a praiseworthy precedent, they stubbornly insist on converting a tale that had much more to offer than this simple “getting lost in lurid scenes” effort into little more than a kind of run-of-the-mill gruesome slasher.

It does not achieve the tension, neither does it manage to imbue us with the terror that emanates from the corn, nor from these children – who are the only thing that save the film with their good performances.

Children of the Corn
Children of the Corn

Where to Watch Children of the Corn

Shudder

The Cast


Elena Kampouris / Boleyn Williams

Kate Moyer / Eden Edwards

Callan Mulvey / Robert Williams

Bruce Spence / Pastor Penny

Stephen Hunter / Calvin Colvington

Erika Heynatz / June Willis

Sisi Stringer / Tanika

Orlando Schwerdt / Cam Colvington

Anna Samson / Sheila Boyce
Ashlee Juergens / Carly

Movie Trailer

Children of the Corn Trailer #1 (2023)
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