If forced to choose one sub-genre of horror that I’ve never been particularly fond of, I would have to single out evil children. That’s not to say I hate them all, there’ve been a few I’ve enjoyed, the obvious ones like Rosemary’s Baby, the Exorcist, It’s Alive, and Joshua, but in terms of horror most of them are as unsettling as a fart in the wind. Aside from the platinum haired shits from The Village of the Damned, most of these knee-high antagonists could be easily vanquished by a fierce spanking, or a serious time-out, and therein lies my problem. Children are not viable as villains in the traditional sense.
As a writer, I’m more intrigued by the things we’re hesitant to talk about, in this case the horrors that come with parenthood: the strain, the exhaustion, the constant contemplation that our actions won’t be good enough, the deep-seeded fear of failure, and most of all, heaven forbid, if anything should harm our precious ankle-biters.
When one becomes a parent, (in my case one who dabbles heavily in horror) our fears change. It’s no longer the reaper who scares us, but rather his shifting gaze toward our children.
2009’s Grace, written and directed by Paul Sorlet, is a film that touches on that fear, and gradually cranks up the creep factor until it culminates in an finale that’ll stick with you for weeks.
The film follows Madeline, a pregnant woman who after a car accident loses her husband, and unborn child. She refuses to have the fetus removed, and a few weeks later, after delivering it in her midwives’ birthing tub pleads for its life. Miraculously, her prayers are answered, and she names the baby Grace. Grace, however is not like most babies. She smells putrid, her skin bleeds when in contact with water, and is unable to digest breast milk. As the film progresses we quickly discover just what it is that baby Grace needs to survive.
Grace tackles a number of issues, namely modern vs. nonconventional medicine, veganism, and overbearing childrearing, but it’s main motivation is to illustrate the unbreakable bond between mother and child, and the great lengths one will go to protect their offspring.
It’s by no means an easy watch, and may be a tad slow-paced for some, but those seeking something different than the typical evil-kid fare will be rewarded for their patience.
That ending man, that ending.
That’s all for today my gore-foodies, but please, come back tomorrow for another bite. I’ve chosen something particularly juicy off the menu for you to enjoy.
Stay scared!
Dean Sexton 