CHILDREN OF SIN ** USA 2022 Dir: Christopher Wesley Moore. 95 mins
Having been part of panel discussions at Conventions and chatting with people I know I have long ago said that Horror film plots are becoming crime films. Is this wrong to do after all Science fiction has done it for years? When an issue like conversion therapy is used as a theme and you stitch on a slasher motif, you get a two-headed monster. CHILDREN OF SIN (2022) is a duel cranium beast that sets up real-life horrors only to morph into a silly spectacle of cliches and dumb ending.
Positive points go to its direction in some places with references to slasher films with an electronic-styled soundtrack plus Motel Hell (1980) Psycho (1960), I Spit On Your Grave (1978) and every thriller (Not horror) film where we have evil western religious parents.
The story is about devoutly religious stepfather Robbie (Jeff Buchwald) and compliant widowed wife Tammy (Keni Bounds) have a mixed family of teens Emma (Meredith Mohler) who is white and Jackson (Lewis Hines) who is black. Emma is in the early stages of pregnancy to open the picture that she is hiding from her parents. She tries to cut herself in the washroom while the family is eating dinner only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. The two children get are in trouble with the parents who ship them off to a facility.
Jackson is caught by his stepfather watching gay porn on his computer. The idea smacks a little of manipulation on the director’s part as previous to this was a blatant scene with Robbie expressing his revulsion for Gay people and watching anti-gay religious rhetoric on television. This manipulation happens in other films but to me, it’s the same as putting something deliberately cute in a scene and then killing it for effect.
The moments of course build previously in flashbacks of Robbie getting touchy-feely with Emma making him the distilled version of what is wrong with the religious zealots. Again, manipulation creates us and them, a cardboard evil bunch that the bright young progressive thinking children must defeat.
Defeat they do of course because society and being progressive in thinking must triumph over darkness even in this picture. Along the way, there are some interesting moments with the inmates at the facility Megan (Faith Stanley), Rebecca (Ana-Claire Henley), Kris (Cami Roebuck) and Mason (George Mayronne). They are all led by Hank played by the director (Christopher Wesley Moore) who spouts platitudes that you can ‘do it and Beat the problem’ with a smiley face. In the film’s only attempt at giving a double edge to a character Hank is in lust with the facilities Gardner with whom he has rendezvous. Mix all this and you have the actual star of the film Mary Esther (Jo-Ann Robinson) who runs the home.
There are some harrowing moments in the film’s version of “Conversion’ therapy in which the men are made to arouse themselves while looking at tarted up Emma and Rebecca.
CHILDREN OF SIN (2022) suddenly and effectively becomes a slasher film with some well-executed practical effects. The solution is brought on by Mary Ester’s remedy for it all as she is wrestling with her Demon or Sappho moments after being enticed by the cleavage of Emma in her required tight uniform.
The ending becomes silly with running around a house and the ultimate revenge on the parents only to be made light of.
Actors do quite well on camera delivering lines that look like improv which works as the flow moves the story. Rebecca tends to hurry and mumble dialogue for long moments.
Meredith Mohler does well as non-conformist Emma delivering some moments playing off Jackson with some cliché dialogue. She runs into trouble in the film’s physicality and the end, both particularly in the facility as they run around. Mohler has a resemblance to Scarlett Johansson which I am sure has been noticed before.
Jo-Ann Robinson chews some scenery at times which would have worked better if this film had been a satire yet can deliver cold quiet menace when.
The best scene is in the basement of the facility where a defiant Megan denies doing wrong while strapped to a chair facing the energized Mary Esther with her two biblical character names. The missed opportunity is at the beginning with Emma attempting to cut herself. If she was that traumatized this should have manifested later in the film. If you are going to commit suicide you cut down the arm not across.
CHILDREN OF SIN (2022) has some style and will be an effective particularity for entry-level horror people again with gore. The screenplay is like two films fused into one with a too silly ending that makes light of the horrific real issue of conversion therapy. The film begins when we get to the facility and meet the people not before.
Review by Terry Sherwood
CHILDREN OF SIN is available on Amazon