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"The Innocents" Review

A must watch Shudder exclusive

By Breanna LudemanPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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As kids, we often dream of having “super powers”, but what would happen if children really did have supernatural abilities? Young Ida is astonished when her non-verbal autistic sister Anna is suddenly communicative–through a psychic link with a neighbor no less. This supernatural horror stays tense throughout as the cast of kids discover what they’re capable of. Although the chain of events in this film may be slow going, there are key events throughout that define the tone and keep the viewer on edge–you're not sure what’s going to happen, but you can guess it is not good.

The Innocents is a slow burning, tense thriller that follows four kids who discover they have a psychic connection. What starts off as a bit of fun–moving rocks with their minds and playing a telekinetic game of telephone–slowly becomes dark and surreal. Can children handle such power? What about children with an already concerning psyche? Director Eskil Vogt offers a tale of four distinctly different children and their summer of discovery.

Acting

The young talent in this movie is amazing. These kids perform emotional scenes at the same caliber of practiced adult actors. I was especially taken with the (at the time) 11 year old actress Alva Brynsmo Ramsted who carefully portrays autistic Anna. Her movements and sound are hyper realistic of people who struggle with communicative disorders. When her character does begin to speak, she is still aware of her body movements and the role of autism and the struggles of that life stay present throughout her performance. The adult performances were solid without being overbearing–they were all able to allow the children to shine while still providing vital roles in many scenes.

Visuals

The overall cinematography of this film is crisp and clear. Visual effects appear in this film as water rippling, ground shaking, and trees snapping. All are so subtle that they help to reaffirm the childrens’ powers in a believable way–nothing over the top or too “unrealistic”. All around the camera work and transitions are fluid, leaving a remarkably polished film.

Sound

Soundtrack composer Pessi Levanto does a stellar job at shifting the tone in just the right places. There are many storytelling moments in the first half of the film which would not seemingly set an eerie mood, but with the quiet strains of melody the viewer is able to take a deeper look into the scene they’re watching. When we are faced with an intense encounter, instead of the composition becoming overconfident, it intensifies the already eerie track. There are moments he includes sounds like a light heartbeat to ensure the viewer is not at ease.

Plot

A psychic link between kids is not a wholly original idea, but its definitely not a stale one either. Not only was the concept interesting, but it was used well. The growth of the children figuring out their powers feels organic and fun. As a viewer I was very excited to see what else the kids could do, and how they would use their powers. Given that each character was distinctly different, it becomes fun to visualize how each personality not only interacts with the others’ but also how they react to different events. Characterization is a large part of the appeal for me, as these characters were well thought out and well portrayed. It is clear that each of these characters have a definitive purpose in the narrative.

Is It Scary?

I wouldn’t call this an outright horror, but it was chilling and terrifying in all of the right places. The tension remains intact throughout most of this production and leaves the audience with an eerie conclusion.

With a nearly two hour run time and a story that opens up inch by inch, some viewers may feel like this film drags a little. For me, the slow burn was worth it as the ending feels catastrophic yet subtle at the same time. This film is not only an interesting essay about child interaction in and out of the home, but also works as just a “supernatural” thriller. In the end, no one is truly innocent.

Please Note: I would like to offer a trigger warning for animal cruelty in this movie. I recommend using doesthedogdie.com for a full list of trigger warnings and time stamps.

movie reviewsupernatural
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About the Creator

Breanna Ludeman

While I am only just diving into the world of professional writing, I have been writing my whole life. I have always had an immense passion for the written word. I especially love to write about film and music. Welcome to my world.

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