The Children

"You brought them into this world. Now ... They will take you out."

2008 1h 24m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 433

HorrorMysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A relaxing Christmas vacation turns into a terrifying fight for survival as the children begin to turn on their parents.

“You brought them into this world. Now ... They will take you out.”

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Cast

Eva Birthistle
Elaine
Hannah Tointon
Casey
Stephen Campbell Moore
Jonah
Rachel Shelley
Chloe
Jeremy Sheffield
Robbie
Rafiella Brooks
Leah
Jake Hathaway
Nicky
William Howes
Paulie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tom Shankland
Writers: Paul Andrew Williams, Tom Shankland
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tom Shankland, shot by Nanu Segal. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tim Murrell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Eva Birthistle and Hannah Tointon and Stephen Campbell Moore carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "You brought them into this world. Now ... They will take you out.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1172571 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tom Shankland directs. Nanu Segal behind the camera. Tim Murrell cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 18 years ago.
3Directed by Tom Shankland, shot by Nanu Segal. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Tim Murrell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Eva Birthistle and Hannah Tointon and Stephen Campbell Moore carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "You brought them into this world. Now ... They will take you out.".
7IMDB entry: tt1172571 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Nanu Segal
Editing: Tim Murrell
Production design: Suzie Davies
Costume design: Andrew Cox
Makeup / hair: Jacqueline Fowler
VFX supervisor: Jan Berner
Sound: Tobias Fleig
Stunt coordinator: Julian Spencer
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Children (2008)

Also by

Tom Shankland

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Community reviews

What people are saying

furious_iz2018-12-16
★ 7/10
Surprisingly good, low budget gem. You've probably seen the scenario before, kids go feral for some reason and the grown-ups have to survive. What makes this version good is the realistic character reactions. I read other reviews saying at the first sign of danger you would stop looking for your kids and just run. I call BS, or maybe I call someone who has never had kids. A halfway decent parent would not ditch their kids and run away! I would sacrifice my life and the life of anyone around me to save my kids! In a heartbeat. So suggesting that it would be more realistic for a parent to instantly believe a moody teenager that their children are now monsters, with no proof, is just crazy talk. The tight plot very cleverly splits up the cast and only lets one character see what is really going on, creating doubt and misinformation, so no-one believes the poor teenager until it is too late, for most of the cast at least. The tension builds consistently, and doesn't let up. There's enough gore and suspense to please more mature horror fans, but you have to go in expecting a slow build up. Also something weird was going on with the sound, I've read other reviews mention the same, so it wasn't just my copy. Turn the volume up, better yet wear headphones and let yourself get sucked in.

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