BestHorrorMovies
Children of Sorrow (2014) Review
Enter, After Dark Original latest, Children of Sorrow. It’s a standard cult flick with little new in the ways of offering. It’s also shot in quasi-docu format which feels strangely offbeat. All the same Bill Oberst Jr. fronts the charge and that alone is enough to snag my attention.
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Directed By: Jourdan McClure
Written By: Ryan Finnerty
Starring:
Bill Oberst Jr. as Simon Leach
Hannah Levien as Ellen
Whitney Nielsen as Mary
There are a lot of quality cult films out there.The Wicker Man, The Shrine, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Red State... there are a number of them floating about, and those are just a few that really jump to the forefront of the memory bank. Enter, After Dark Original latest, Children of Sorrow. It’s a standard cult flick with little new in the ways of offering. It’s also shot in quasi-docu format which feels strangely offbeat. All the same Bill Oberst Jr. fronts the charge and that alone is enough to snag my attention.
I don’t think we need to get too involved in the plot. Pics of this nature are all pretty much identical. A young woman works her way into an outlandish cult. She’s on the hunt for her sister, who went unexpectedly missing. Simon Leach (Oberst Jr.) is the head honcho at this small compound, and he’s a bit reserved when it comes to anyone who may have gone missing under his watch. If you’ve seen any movies of this ilk, you’re probably already guessing that good old Leach himself most definitely had a hand in this mystery. Throughout the course of 90 minutes the unknown works itself out... to an extent.
The truth of the matter is this: Children of Sorrow is a completely disjointed, utterly disconnected film that at times makes absolutely no sense, and at times strikes a terribly eerie cord. The script is all over the place and that certainly doesn’t help the picture’s cause. Ryan Finnerty’s screenplay feels more
like the writing of a schizophrenic than a polished professional. There are moments in which we the viewer have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on, and that’s just not a good thing. That said, there is one true quality to be found in the film, and that’s Oberst Jr.’s steady spiral into a dark, dark realm. The somewhat pleasant man (he’s still awkward, for the record) we meet in the opening scenes is not the individual we come to know by the time the credits roll. And, to be fair, I really liked (and anticipated) that transition. Oberst Jr. is perfect for these kinds of characters... although that’s starting to make me question the man’s (not the actor) sanity.
In terms of aesthetics, the film is bare bones. Don’t expect any mind blowing visuals or riveting cinematography. Furthermore, don’t seek this one out in the hopes of copious gore or countless severed limbs. No, this one is far more psychological than anything else. The downside of that is the fact that the psychological edge to the film doesn’t pay off. Sure Simon Leach is an outright lunatic who seems to be juggling conversation with a half dozen personalities in his head... but it’s just not enough to keep the picture moving forward. At least not on a truly engaging level. In fact, the picture at times is a bit boring, the only reason to watch being Oberst Jr.’s profoundly unpredictable actions.
The remainder of the crew is simple brain fodder. And the found footage style of filming doesn’t do the feature a single favor either. In fact, it only makes the flick look a bit cheaper than it probably is. This one needed a nice sheen, and a coherent story to draw viewers in. There’s a trend occurring, and I’m not convinced it’s going to hold up. See, Bill Oberst Jr. is a chameleon in front of the camera, but he prefers to tackle stupendously quirky roles. We’re talking about the kind of roles very few thespians are even confident enough to approach. Bill does so, and he does a fine job of portraying socially awkward lunatics. But the man is in danger of being typecast – forever. There’s nothing wrong with being typecast, but fans want to see actors step far from their comfort zone, just to prove they’re capable. This man can bring insanity to life, but he’s really not stepping from his own box and attempting radically different roles. That could eventually hurt his career.
Here’s the deal, Children of Sorrow isn’t an engaging piece of film. It stands inferior to every comparable film I mentioned earlier in this review. As a viewer I felt so completely divided by the film that it seemed nearly impossible to find and grasp the strengths of the motion picture. That’s a terrible thing. I could care less if Oberst Jr. fully dedicated himself to the project – and did an eerie job at that – it takes more than a single personality and performance to drive a movie forward.Children of Sorrow had nothing other than the lone marquee name in the credits. A shame!
Full Movie on PutLocker
And Solarmovie
Starring:
Bill Oberst Jr. as Simon Leach
Hannah Levien as Ellen
Whitney Nielsen as Mary
There are a lot of quality cult films out there.The Wicker Man, The Shrine, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Red State... there are a number of them floating about, and those are just a few that really jump to the forefront of the memory bank. Enter, After Dark Original latest, Children of Sorrow. It’s a standard cult flick with little new in the ways of offering. It’s also shot in quasi-docu format which feels strangely offbeat. All the same Bill Oberst Jr. fronts the charge and that alone is enough to snag my attention.
I don’t think we need to get too involved in the plot. Pics of this nature are all pretty much identical. A young woman works her way into an outlandish cult. She’s on the hunt for her sister, who went unexpectedly missing. Simon Leach (Oberst Jr.) is the head honcho at this small compound, and he’s a bit reserved when it comes to anyone who may have gone missing under his watch. If you’ve seen any movies of this ilk, you’re probably already guessing that good old Leach himself most definitely had a hand in this mystery. Throughout the course of 90 minutes the unknown works itself out... to an extent.
The truth of the matter is this: Children of Sorrow is a completely disjointed, utterly disconnected film that at times makes absolutely no sense, and at times strikes a terribly eerie cord. The script is all over the place and that certainly doesn’t help the picture’s cause. Ryan Finnerty’s screenplay feels more like the writing of a schizophrenic than a polished professional. There are moments in which we the viewer have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on, and that’s just not a good thing. That said, there is one true quality to be found in the film, and that’s Oberst Jr.’s steady spiral into a dark, dark realm. The somewhat pleasant man (he’s still awkward, for the record) we meet in the opening scenes is not the individual we come to know by the time the credits roll. And, to be fair, I really liked (and anticipated) that transition. Oberst Jr. is perfect for these kinds of characters... although that’s starting to make me question the man’s (not the actor) sanity.
like the writing of a schizophrenic than a polished professional. There are moments in which we the viewer have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on, and that’s just not a good thing. That said, there is one true quality to be found in the film, and that’s Oberst Jr.’s steady spiral into a dark, dark realm. The somewhat pleasant man (he’s still awkward, for the record) we meet in the opening scenes is not the individual we come to know by the time the credits roll. And, to be fair, I really liked (and anticipated) that transition. Oberst Jr. is perfect for these kinds of characters... although that’s starting to make me question the man’s (not the actor) sanity.
In terms of aesthetics, the film is bare bones. Don’t expect any mind blowing visuals or riveting cinematography. Furthermore, don’t seek this one out in the hopes of copious gore or countless severed limbs. No, this one is far more psychological than anything else. The downside of that is the fact that the psychological edge to the film doesn’t pay off. Sure Simon Leach is an outright lunatic who seems to be juggling conversation with a half dozen personalities in his head... but it’s just not enough to keep the picture moving forward. At least not on a truly engaging level. In fact, the picture at times is a bit boring, the only reason to watch being Oberst Jr.’s profoundly unpredictable actions.
psychological than anything else. The downside of that is the fact that the psychological edge to the film doesn’t pay off. Sure Simon Leach is an outright lunatic who seems to be juggling conversation with a half dozen personalities in his head... but it’s just not enough to keep the picture moving forward. At least not on a truly engaging level. In fact, the picture at times is a bit boring, the only reason to watch being Oberst Jr.’s profoundly unpredictable actions.
The remainder of the crew is simple brain fodder. And the found footage style of filming doesn’t do the feature a single favor either. In fact, it only makes the flick look a bit cheaper than it probably is. This one needed a nice sheen, and a coherent story to draw viewers in. There’s a trend occurring, and I’m not convinced it’s going to hold up. See, Bill Oberst Jr. is a chameleon in front of the camera, but he prefers to tackle stupendously quirky roles. We’re talking about the kind of roles very few thespians are even confident enough to approach. Bill does so, and he does a fine job of portraying socially awkward lunatics. But the man is in danger of being typecast – forever. There’s nothing wrong with being typecast, but fans want to see actors step far from their comfort zone, just to prove they’re capable. This man can bring insanity to life, but he’s really not stepping from his own box and attempting radically different roles. That could eventually hurt his career.
Here’s the deal, Children of Sorrow isn’t an engaging piece of film. It stands inferior to every comparable film I mentioned earlier in this review. As a viewer I felt so completely divided by the film that it seemed nearly impossible to find and grasp the strengths of the motion picture. That’s a terrible thing. I could care less if Oberst Jr. fully dedicated himself to the project – and did an eerie job at that – it takes more than a single personality and performance to drive a movie forward.Children of Sorrow had nothing other than the lone marquee name in the credits. A shame!
And Solarmovie
No comments:
Post a Comment