Child Eater is a 2016 American-Icelandic supernatural horror film written and directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen (Rift; Patient Seven segment: ‘Banishing’; Bumps in the Night). The Wheelhouse Creative production is a feature length version of Thoroddsen’s 2012 short film of the same title.
A simple night of babysitting takes a horrifying turn when Helen realizes the boogeyman really is in little Lucas’ closet…
Reviews:
“Thoroddsen turns what sounds like a conventional genre storyline into a refreshingly unique, intense and beautifully made eighty-two minute presentation. The performances, especially Jason Martin as Robert Bowery and James Wilcox as Sheriff Connolly, are exceptional all around. John Wakayama-Carey’s cinematography is lush and ominous.” A Word of Dreams
” …Child Eater is dead serious, so no post-modern genre re-interpretation, so eye-winking in-jokes for genre fans, no camp moments, silly one-liners or gore effects for the gore’s sake. Instead the film is strong on characters and treats the story as a whole more like a mature thriller than a simple stalk-and-slash revue, favouring suspense over effect, atmosphere over shocks (though there are plenty of those still.” Search My Trash
“Child Eater is a solid watch, Bowery makes for an appropriately wicked villain, though I do wish he had more screen time, and that some of the scenes weren’t so awkwardly edited. Director Erlingur Thoroddsen has made a decent fright flick, worth a watch, but I’m more looking forward to what he does next then re watching Child Eater.” McBastard’s Mausoleum
“The acting was quite solid for a crew of essential neophytes, and that instantly adds a confidence in the film that allows us to relax and dispel the idea that we’re in store for more micro-junk. No, this movie looks good with clean cinematography. The lighting is a little low, and I might normally call that a mistake, but somehow it works pretty well here.” Addicted to Horror Movies
“It’s pretty evident Child Eater is inspired by the many ’80s horror films that we all grew up with. It features many of the same tropes and gives us just the right amount of gore to keep most horror fiends satisfied. Unfortunately, the film falters when it comes to diving into the character of Robert Bowery. We don’t know much about him, save for a bit of third party related backstory.” Reviews from the Mind of Tatlock
“The effects are great and so is the cinematography. The story may be lackluster but the kills in this film are not easily forgettable. Overall, Child Eater could be something truly amazing in indie horror but the fact the story is unable to capture the true terror this story had to offer.” Horror Society
” …a well-made, well-executed indie with a compelling creature and some memorable shots and sequences, even if it is a little pedestrian and cliché at times. The makers of Child Eater aren’t trying to make an icon, but in no small feat, the premise leaves you wanting more.” Dread Central
“The central plot device of Lucas being lured into the woods (by the stork?) and Helen going to get him worked for the short but was not enough to sustain a feature-length narrative. The characters, moreover, were not developed at all: we learned nothing more about Helen or Bowery, for instance, in 82 minutes than we had learned in the short’s 15 minutes. In the end, I felt that this was a sadly wasted opportunity…” Horror Homeroom
“Thoroddsen adroitly maintains a sense of mounting dread and cinematographer John Wakayama Carey gives it an exquisitely eerie look, but it is hard to keep invested in a film when you know the evilness will always get the final word. It earns some style points, but we have gone this wooded path many, many times before (it is safe to say Thoroddsen does not opt for the road less traveled by). Okay, but not great…” J.B. Spins
” …Child Eater always drags itself away from the splatter to make the movie about Helen and her plight and that’s why it works. Bliss is excellent. Also excellent are the technical aspects of the film. Usually bad sound recording is the most distracting factor in these sorts of pictures, but the audio here is immaculate. Trust me, that is appreciated. And the score by Einar Tryggvason is rich and evocative.” Coming Soon
Main cast:
- Cait Bliss – Towers of Terror
- Colin Critchley
- Jason Martin – You Can’t Kill Stephen King
- Dave Klasko
- Brandon Smalls
- James Wilcox
- Melinda Chilton
- Kara Durrett
- Andrew Kaempfer
Original short film:
