The Scandinavians are on a roll lately with horror films. Before I watched, The Innocents (2021), I was very much impressed with The Hatching (2022). Both Scandinavian films bring new creative ideas to horror that I very much appreciate given how derivative horror is today. I feel some of the most creative ideas in horror during the last twenty years have come from foreign countries with new ideas. In the age of streaming movies from all over the world within seconds, it is a delight to watch these films that might never have been seen stateside.
The Innocents (2021) is about a group of local Nordic children, two of which have gradually developed psychokinesis and mental suggestive powers. The first is a very special autistic girl by the name of Anna. She is a very gentle docile soul who lost her ability to talk early in her childhood. She has a sister by the name of Ida. Anna and another gentle and lovable little girl named Aisha develop a close friendship. Aisha and Anna can communicate telepathically.
Then there is Ben, a boy that seems very friendly. He becomes a playmate with Anna's sister Ida. They hit it off very well. Ben shows Ida the neat tricks he can do with his mind and Ida is enthralled by Ben's tricks. He even tries to teach her to do the same. But as the film progresses, Ida sees disturbing things in Ben. Ben's actions become ominous as he becomes more aggressive.
The story is heartbreaking because the director really got me to love these kids. Anna, Aisha, Ida and Ben. We get to know their parents. Then a serious of tragedy evens begin to happen and the story turns more ominous.
For me, this is what true horror is. When you grow to love the characters and the unimaginable happens that shoot chills up the spine. The dread that something terrible will happen to the characters you love. This is a good horror film. It isn't a jump scare film. These Scandinavians films really do have a good story behind them like a good horror book will have. Horror isn't someone getting an arrow in the eye if you don't care for them. That's the typical cheap horror tropes that many horror films use because it's a lot harder to write a good story that make you fall in love with the characters. The Innocents and the writer/director know you must care about these children to be shocked by what happens to them. This film is a class act.
The Innocents (2021) is about a group of local Nordic children, two of which have gradually developed psychokinesis and mental suggestive powers. The first is a very special autistic girl by the name of Anna. She is a very gentle docile soul who lost her ability to talk early in her childhood. She has a sister by the name of Ida. Anna and another gentle and lovable little girl named Aisha develop a close friendship. Aisha and Anna can communicate telepathically.
Then there is Ben, a boy that seems very friendly. He becomes a playmate with Anna's sister Ida. They hit it off very well. Ben shows Ida the neat tricks he can do with his mind and Ida is enthralled by Ben's tricks. He even tries to teach her to do the same. But as the film progresses, Ida sees disturbing things in Ben. Ben's actions become ominous as he becomes more aggressive.
The story is heartbreaking because the director really got me to love these kids. Anna, Aisha, Ida and Ben. We get to know their parents. Then a serious of tragedy evens begin to happen and the story turns more ominous.
For me, this is what true horror is. When you grow to love the characters and the unimaginable happens that shoot chills up the spine. The dread that something terrible will happen to the characters you love. This is a good horror film. It isn't a jump scare film. These Scandinavians films really do have a good story behind them like a good horror book will have. Horror isn't someone getting an arrow in the eye if you don't care for them. That's the typical cheap horror tropes that many horror films use because it's a lot harder to write a good story that make you fall in love with the characters. The Innocents and the writer/director know you must care about these children to be shocked by what happens to them. This film is a class act.