Ah, the good old American slasher! Films such as Halloween, Friday the 13th and Scream have scared us and inspired others to pick up the camera and give it a go themselves. The result is hundreds of slasher films that are mostly low to no budget, but nevertheless are passion projects of directors seeking to put on screen their own special vision of what a slasher should be. This film is yet another one of those passion projects.
"Blessed are the Children" is a 2016 horror slasher film written and directed by Chris Moore. Although this project was finished in 2016, it is just now getting wide-release distribution.
The film revolves around three young ladies, one of whom has recently had an abortion. While at the clinic she is freaked out by a guy in an angry baby mask, wearing a red sweatshirt and holding a sign that says, "God Hates You". After she finishes her appointment, she is then stalked by this person and those around around her start dying.
I say that this film is a passion project, because there certainly was next to no money behind it. The film itself is generic in it's quality and the cinematography is rather uninspired. There was an attempt at some blue and red lighting schemes, but honestly it didn't fit with the rest of the film. The pacing of the film was a bit slow and I feel that at 1 hour and 38 minutes, this film was at least 20 minutes too long. The editing didn't help either as there are some weird and abrupt cuts that don't seem to be an artistic choice. One of the ways I know I might appreciate the quality of a film is the sound design. A film with a great sound design can really transport you to the fictional world you're watching. However poor sound design is devastating. This film had some of the worst sound design I've heard this year. I think maybe the sound was just being captured off of the cameras being used, because humming noises, chewing sounds, cars in the background were more than a little distracting.
I also have to point out the writing and the acting. The writing is weak with conversations happening that feel so unnatural that it is painful to watch. The acting is below average and there wasn't a single character I liked and wanted to root for.
That said, the killer was decent, with a creepy and appropriate baby mask, although this is not an original design...they can be found at any Halloween shop. There is some fun gore here...a tongue cut, knife through the mouth, a throat slash and a head smashing, and that might be enough to save this film for some fans of the sub-genre, but sadly, not for me.
I'm also not sure if there are any sociopolitical statements being made here about the evil's of abortion. It didn't seem that it was being preachy at all and the abortion device was just a set piece the writer used to move his story forward.
If you like cheaply made slasher films (many do) then check this film out when it hits VOD on October 23rd. If you need a higher quality cinematic experience then you would do well to skip "Blessed are the Children".
1.5/10 Angry Baby Masks
"Blessed are the Children" is a 2016 horror slasher film written and directed by Chris Moore. Although this project was finished in 2016, it is just now getting wide-release distribution.
The film revolves around three young ladies, one of whom has recently had an abortion. While at the clinic she is freaked out by a guy in an angry baby mask, wearing a red sweatshirt and holding a sign that says, "God Hates You". After she finishes her appointment, she is then stalked by this person and those around around her start dying.
I say that this film is a passion project, because there certainly was next to no money behind it. The film itself is generic in it's quality and the cinematography is rather uninspired. There was an attempt at some blue and red lighting schemes, but honestly it didn't fit with the rest of the film. The pacing of the film was a bit slow and I feel that at 1 hour and 38 minutes, this film was at least 20 minutes too long. The editing didn't help either as there are some weird and abrupt cuts that don't seem to be an artistic choice. One of the ways I know I might appreciate the quality of a film is the sound design. A film with a great sound design can really transport you to the fictional world you're watching. However poor sound design is devastating. This film had some of the worst sound design I've heard this year. I think maybe the sound was just being captured off of the cameras being used, because humming noises, chewing sounds, cars in the background were more than a little distracting.
I also have to point out the writing and the acting. The writing is weak with conversations happening that feel so unnatural that it is painful to watch. The acting is below average and there wasn't a single character I liked and wanted to root for.
That said, the killer was decent, with a creepy and appropriate baby mask, although this is not an original design...they can be found at any Halloween shop. There is some fun gore here...a tongue cut, knife through the mouth, a throat slash and a head smashing, and that might be enough to save this film for some fans of the sub-genre, but sadly, not for me.
I'm also not sure if there are any sociopolitical statements being made here about the evil's of abortion. It didn't seem that it was being preachy at all and the abortion device was just a set piece the writer used to move his story forward.
If you like cheaply made slasher films (many do) then check this film out when it hits VOD on October 23rd. If you need a higher quality cinematic experience then you would do well to skip "Blessed are the Children".
1.5/10 Angry Baby Masks