#23 WHO CAN KILL A CHILD - Horror Countdown to Halloween

This October we here at Dark of the Matinee are counting down our 31 favorite horror films. Join us daily as we countdown from #31 starting on October 1, 2012 leading up to #1 on Halloween!

#23 – WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (1976)

Dir. Narisco Ibanez Serrador

What a great question and Narisco Ibanez Serrador's 1976 horror classic answers it. That is no minor thing actually. When a horror film posses such a sinister question, they don't always deliver. Rest assured, the last reel of this film fully delivers.

In the film, an English couple travel to a remote island for their honeymoon. When they arrive, they notice the island is very quiet. No one seems to be around aside from a few children. From there the couple begin slowly to piece together that something isn't right. The island seems to be run by children and the children don't care for adults all that much.

The film is a slow boil that eventually erupts into startling violence. For those that like Ti West's films, Who Can Kill A Child? is right up your alley. A long, suspenseful build with a fantastic ending is what this film is all about. One particular great scene that builds tension involves the husband spying on some children. He sees them batting at something swinging from a rope. He smiles at them until he realizes what they are hitting. It's shocks like these that make Who Can Kill a Child? so memorable.

The film is a hidden gem. It's one of those films you come across and ask yourself how have I not seen this before. The film is shot wonderfully in truly breathtaking locales which only add to the creepiness and dread. Spanish horror didn't start with Guillermo del Toro and this film proves that.



written by Matthew Robinson