REVIEW: CHILDREN OF THE CORN

• Director: Kurt Wimmer
• Writer: Kurt Wimmer
• Stars: Elena Kampouris, Kate Moyer, Callan Mulvey, Bruce Spence

REVIEW

Children of the Corn is a long and not very good franchise. So, when a remake was announced, the initial thoughts were of a faithful King adaptation. This is not the case, however, and we get another different adaptation.

In a prologue, the adults and most of the children in an adoption home are killed, through a random stabbing and through ineptitude of the people of the town of Rlystone. There is only one survivor, Eden (Moyer). Fast forward a few months and Rlystone is corn county, but the problem is that the corn is dying thanks to some dodgy GMO chemicals. At a town meeting it is decided to bury the corn and get subsidies and be done with it all and walk away. However, the children in the town don’t think that’s a good idea and whilst the teenagers lead by Boleyn (Kampouris) who are looking to expose the town’s decision through TV reporter. However, there is something in the cornfields and it compels Eden to create her own cult, to protect the corn… and that means killing.

To be up front, I really don’t care for the original Children Of The Corn, and so I was keen on seeing what this redo/reimaging did with the material. This film had a few moments where I thought it could really go for something different or at least have something to say. Unfortunately, any of these moments are eschewed for your regular tropes. The film leaned into the environmental aspects of the dying corn, GMO chemicals and the companies exploiting farming towns and controlling food production (the company is never mentioned in the film but you can guess that is rhymes with Bon-ranto) yet decided to not use that beyond a few throw away plot points.

The reveal of the reason why the cornfield has the hold over the children is interesting. Moyer is good fun as the cult leader and Kampouris tries hard with the material that she has to work with.

All up Children of The Corn was an unrealised film. Plenty of potential, just the execution was way off, a long, long way off.

Children Of The Corn is available now

Ryan Morrissey-Smith | Twitter: @TigersMS78