Customer Reviews

Who Can Kill a Child?

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

...that this movie gets the DVD release that it deserves.

If you haven't seen this, it is a true "horror" movie in the vein of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

And by that I mean that it is utterly horrifying: the kind of movie you think about 10 years later and it still leaves you unsettled. The kind of movie that you're not eating popcorn while watching it because your hands are in fists throughout most of it - and you wouldn't want to be eating while watching it anyway.

By "horror," I don't mean a slasher film where you get cutsie characters, comic relief, and gratutitous nudity.

I'm not going to reveal anything about the plot because that will only detract from its impact. (Not knowing anything about this film and seeing "the scene" is perhaps the single scariest movie experience I've ever had).

Don't take my word for it though.

Why do you think it's taken over 20 years to get this movie released uncut in America - and the film itself is virtually unheard of by Americans?

You've been warned.

One of the best horror films you'll ever see in your entire lifetime. This is the complete version. A brilliant and inventive film. It's possible that Stephen King was inspired by this gem to write children of the corn. Who can kill a child? is an astonishing film, and the last reel will give you a deep trauma that will haunt you for years. 1 billion thumbs up.

Holy!! A heavy dose of childhood trauma gets served up--this time the adults are on the receiving end!

WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? is a splendidly creepy flick that only the 70's could deliver. It's quite a bizarre premise, plus it poses an extremely tough moral dilemma that has no easy answers.

Tom & Evelyn take a vacation to a small island off the coast of Spain. They quickly notice their isolated little getaway spot is totally devoid of adults. Just a bunch of kids running around, acting pretty strange.

Their deepest fears are about to be realized. These children are playing some deadly games. They eventually witness some adults get tied up and tortured, just for their amusement. Broootal!

The most disturbing thing about this situation is the innocent appearance of these boys and girls. They have such clean little smiling faces--just completely adorable. Until you get to know them.

This movie starts off a little slow, but once it gets going--look out! It's guaranteed to make you uncomfortable. Some unsettling murders that will really get under your skin. Bloody stuff!
The couple are placed in such a tough predicament--kill these poor little children, or be killed. What do you do?!?

A must-see horror heavyweight from the 70's. It reminded me of the original Wicker Man, and it's almost as good!

Wow, this one completely caught me off gaurd. This is a movie more people should know about, but do to it's heavily censored release it has not been availible for many years in it's full uncut form. Now thank's to Dark Sky film's we have a beautiful print of a beatiful movie.

Opening with about ten minutes of documentary footage of numerous war's throughout history and horrific images of mass graves. It show's images of human suffering and list's the numbers of the death-count of children involved. Right off the bat it left me with an uneasy feeling throughout the whole movie because of that opening.

Most of the movie focuses on two main character's that come to a small island off the coast of Spain to get away for a while only to find out that the children are the only one's left on the island. It focuses on these two main characters throughout the movie and uses character development most of the time to really start to feel for these character's. The acting performances are great and really carry the film through it's entirety. The children are extremely creepy and actually scared me a little bit. I never thought I could be scared of a child but Narcisco is such a competent director that he pull's it off great.

The most impressive thing about this movie though is the direction, Narciso Ibanez Serrador is an extremely talented director that really know's how to tell a story and make a very scary horror film. I look forward to checking out more of his work. This is one of the few European film's I've seen that almost out-does most American flick's, technically speaking.

I threw this on my wish list as high priority a couple of month's ago and I did not read up on this movie before I purchased it, so honestly I was expecting giallo, but this has no mystery involved and is a straight-up ball's to the wall horror film I recommend to anybody that has never heard of it.

For all you sicko's out there, don't worry there is a fair amount of offensive subject matter, and there is a reason this has been not available for many year's in uncut form. As you may of guessed this movie deal's with child murder, but it is not just the thought of murdering children that comes off as being over-the-top, but the images of children commiting such horrific deed's with such heartlessness and commiting murder themselves.

I highly recommend this lost horror gem and encourage anyone that has not seen it to give it a look.

"Who Can Kill A child?" is a disturbing, shocking film from Narcisco Ibanez Serrador, the Spanish director who bought us "The House That Screamed." It is by far the best entry in the killer kiddie horror sub-genre of the seventies, much better than the tasteless "Devil Times Five" or Stephen King's ludicrous, anti-Christian "Children of the Corn," which proceeded it by nearly eight years.

The plot of "Who Can Kill A child?" is this: The children of a remote Spanish island have packed together like wild dogs and slaughtered all but a few adults. A vacationing British couple arrive on the island discover mutilated bodies of adults. They also witness children savagely committing acts of murder against their parents The Brits must escape before they are also butchered.

The acting is superb, the atmosphere is tense, and the island is sunny and gorgeous. It is quite shocking to see cute Mediterranean children, with pixie faces, laugh and run as they "play" their cruel "games." It has a Twilight Zone ending that lets you know that the horror has only begun.

It is never quite clear why the children become murderous and that is why I only gave the movie four stars. The children appear to communicate almost telepathically to each other their desires to kill their parents. They can even transmit their killing desire to unborn children.

The movie also tries to make a political statement. At the beginning, black-and-white film clips of actual news footage are shown. They depict children dying of war and famine. Perhaps the Spanish children of "Who Can Kill A Child?" are seeking revenge against those who have oppressed them. In "The House That Screamed," the director also depicted what happens to those who are oppressed and imprisoned by an overly strict society. They go insane and brutally kill.

"Who Can Kill A Child?" is highly recommended for fans of killer kiddie horror, fans of Spanish horror, or for anyone who loves a terrifying, disturbing horror movie that will scare you long after it is over. You'll be asking yourself: "Could I kill a child if the child was trying to kill me?" Maybe I could, maybe I couldn't!

After I watched this film from Spain, the first thing that came to mind was "Village of the Damned" combined with "Children of the Corn." There were elements of both if you really looked for them. But Serrador's shocker managed to come through as something entirely original.

In my opinion, he could've taken this movie to a whole 'nother level but I guess he would've had his film banned all over the world. It probably was up to a certain point. I mean c'mon: Just look at the title of the movie.

As for the DVD itself, I think Dark Sky did an admirable job with the transfer. Occasionally, there were some noticeable flaws to the film but you really have to have a sharp eye to catch them. Sound came out fine. You get some interviews which were pretty cool.


Note: If you're the type who needs excessive amounts of CGI with action scenes every other second and who admittedly has a low attention span, then move on. This film develops the two main characters for a better part of the movie.

Nothing can match 70's horror; the US & the rest of the world gave birth to some of the best horror films ever produced during the era of LSD, Charles Manson, and disco. Brilliant films such as "The Omen", "Rosemary's Baby", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and international contributions from mastermind Argento such as "Deep Red" and "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage" really defined and shaped horror movies for years to come. Many of these terrifying films remain unprecedented. "Who Can Kill A Child" may not be an absolute masterpiece, but for anyone looking to discover a terrific gem of a thriller, this one definitely is worth a look. Well photographed, nicely scored, and well acted, "Child" avoids many of the "evil child" pitfalls that often plague the genre; mainly bad child actors with too much screen time. The film is smart to focus on heavy atmosphere and mood and the story itself intrigues without giving too much away. There's some true nastiness to the film, great settings, and a genuine eeriness and sense of dread pervasive through out. Check it out.

Inconsistent but reasonably good. The protracted lead-in to the core of the film works surprisingly well as we get comfortable with the characters who will eventually be endangered. Primarily this movie deserves attention for bursting taboos regarding violence by and toward children in unsettling yet credible ways. I'd rather like to see a remake - a good remake of this could be chilling.

Lovers of HOSTEL and other "torture porn" movies of the present day take note. This is a good example of how a horror film can really get under one's skin...by introducing an horrific idea while leaving some of the gore to the imagination. WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? isn't a masterpiece by any means but it is one of those "hidden gems". It was shot on a small budget and the writer/director wrote the screenplay in less than a week (and it shows unfortunately in some places), but here is a horror movie that breaks most conventions of horror. It's deliberately paced and leisurely shot for the most part during the daytime allowing the viewer to feel the situation is as real as going shopping. Much of the gore is off-screen provided in sickening sound or depicted in the shocked faces of our heroes. We are usually only shown the aftermath of violence with the exception of the final 15 minutes.

While some of the previously "censored" footage may have come from the climax, I think most of it came from the newsreel footage incorporated into the overlong opening credit sequence. The footage does set an ominous tone but at almost 9 minutes in length the opening sequence overstays its welcome by about 5 - 6 minutes so that when the point is brought up again in an early scene where the couple is buying film, it's like beating a dead horse.

Overall I liked the film. I liked how the film was shot. I liked the leads...although I could have stood some better dialogue and a little more emotion between them in certain scenes...and there were several unnerving developments in the final act that really affected me. The underlying concept in WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? should be terrifying for any parent or anyone who gets along well with children. If I were in the same predicament as this film presents, I'm not sure I'd be capable of doing anything but running for my life.

Just FYI...there is apparently a remake on the way in 2008 called CHILD'S GAME.

QUIÉN PUEDE MATAR A UN NIÑO? (WHO CAN KILL A CHILD) is a masterpiece of horror cinema. Made in 1976, this violent, gruesome little film is a first-rate shocker.

A young tourist couple arrives on a Spanish island only to discover they are the only adults left alive, while the whole island seems to be ruled by its children. But the children here are cute little sadistic killers... who will put Leatherface and Jason Voorhees to shame!

This is an amazing film where everything is right! The screenplay is top-notch. The cast is amazing and the children... oh, the children are delightful! Pure evil!

This film has been unavailable for years and it's great to see it on DVD after so much time... restored and uncut! Director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador gives us a masterful storytelling full of great shocks and horror moments. This is truly a film that deserves to be put on the same league as Halloween, The Exorcist and The Omen.

...And, as usual, an amazing ending!

A true gem to be discovered!