Directed by J.S. Cardone
Starring Lori Heuring, Scout Taylor-Compton, Chloe Grace Moretz, Geoffrey Lewis and Ben Cross
It looks like I've already reached the depths of Netflix. Wicked Little Things was one of the much-ballyhooed "8 Films to Die For" in the original After Dark Horrorfest, which tells this guy several things. Namely, it was either going to be a woefully underappreciated gem, or really, severely misguided. 95 minutes later, I'm going with Option #2.
This is just a really STRANGE movie, and one that I'm not entirely sure how to explain. It's kind of a zombie movie (I know - ugh), but it's one unlike any that I've ever seen. They're also...ghosts, I guess, which makes this kind of in the same vein as some of Lucio Fulci's weird materializing zombie epics, only about .0000005% as good. In addition to that, it's got Scout Taylor-Compton a year before she would be saddled with the task of playing Rob Zombie's version of Laurie Strode, getting to play Zombie's Laurie Strode under a different name. In short, likability = nonexistant. AND it has Chloe Moretz a few years before hitting it big as Hit Girl and a pair of very well-received horror remakes that will go unnamed, mostly due to the fact that I refuse to watch them out of principle. Thus, while this isn't a very good flick, it's interesting, so let's get to it.
The flick opens up with one of those flashback sequences that horror film-makers seem to adore, giving us the "past evil" in "show don't tell" form as a cruel mine baron is employing and exploiting a large group of immigrant children in rural Carlton, Pennsylvania. A horrific accident soon buries all of the children alive in what I'm sure is meant to be some sort of symbolism that I'm too dumb to pick up on.
Warp forward 80 years, where the mine is long closed and that evil baron was acquitted for his crimes. Meet the Tunny family - mother Karen (Lori Heuring), teenage daughter Sarah (Compton) and young-'un Emma (Moretz). The trio have just dealt with a long illness and death of the father, and are moving into his family house in Carlton because reasons. All of which immediately fitting into the pre-disposed horror movie family roles that should be familiar to anyone reading this. The mother is protective and concerned, the teen is rebellious and all kinds of pissed off about living in Hicksville, the daughter is percocious and scared by all of the weird local rituals and goings-on. For her part, Moretz really is the star here, no matter how milquetoast her role, and it isn't hard to figure out why she would eventually be a breakout star and why Compton would soon be doomed to Rob Zombie-land.
And...that's pretty much it. From here, the family starts to hear sounds at night, Emma wanders off into the forest and finds the old mine, and the strange ritual that many of the townsfolk have involving painting blood on their doors is discussed a few times. We meet an anciliary character named Hanks, played by Ben Cross in full scenery-chewing mode, who seems to be the guy looking out for the Turner family in between whatever it is he does for a living besides speaking in hushed tones about the ghoulies that go bump in the night. All throughout, the presentation is just weird in a way that you can't take your eyes off of the train wreck.
The movie essentially has two subplots. Unfortunately, one of them involves Compton's character, as she adjusts to the teenage life in Carlton. Taking place in one 30-second scene, she rebukes the advances of the local douchebag while simultaneously becoming interested in his nice guy friend, leading to a few scenes where the group sits around in cars, listens to heavy metal, smokes doobies and partake in some make-out sessions. It's just as captivating as it sounds. The other is the rather haphazard way that we find out that, yes, the mountains of Carlton, Pennsylvania are occupied by honest-to-goodness zombie children who come out every night to feed, and that the blood on the doors is way of appeasing their hungry spirits.
Oh, and both Hanks and the Turner family are related to the zombies, and thus can't be harmed by them. Don't ask.
If you can't tell, I wasn't particularly into this movie. I WILL give the movie some credit when it comes to the third act, as the local land developer baron (also conveniently related to the guy who was responsible for that mine accident all those years ago) finds himself locked up with Hanks, Karen and Sarah, leading up to a five-minute sequence that actually consists of some pretty nifty horror and a whole heap o' stage blood literally poured out on the cast. It lulls the audience out of their stupor, but it's too little too late. Ultimately, with me, it always comes down to characters, and this movie doesn't captivate you with them. A fatal flaw in a genre that depends on emotional investment leading up to mortal danger, and it's the fatal strike here.
* 1/2 out of ****. I suspect that the only reason Netflix coughed up the cash to have this one in their library is Moretz, and it shows, because everything else is an interesting-yet-forgettable mismash. Skip this one.
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