AKA: The Day – Runtime: 84 Minutes – Country: UK
A car is entering the deep woods… snow is covering the trees and the street. A family is on its way to their relatives, to celebrate the new year’s eve. Both couples have children, so these days should actually become a real event for them. The familiar reunion takes place – and all are looking forward to a beatiful time. Only little Paulie does not seem to feel very well, he looks sick – so the other children even develop a little fear of him. But these feelings are only temporarily, since now it seems like there are two sides emerging… with the kids on the one, and the adults on the other. There seems to be no reason at all, but the children turn very agressive and brutal, seeming totally out of their minds. The parents just can not believe it – even when the first person is killed, they can not see the real reason for the events… only a teenage girl seems to know what is going on here…
Cute little kids you think ? Well, not at all…
Well, after seeing the first scene only – one can already assume that the producers included every sort of character that is needed for a good (or maybe: clichéd ?) horror-film. We have a bunch of wild kids that are full of energy, a rather nerved teenage-girl who does not want to be there at all, and some adults who seem to look as if butter would not melt in their mouths. They really can not wait to get this new year’s eve party started… ! And after about 5 minutes the credits are actually through, and we are inside the house. They all seem happy for now… but how long will this illusionary peace last ? Well, many people do say that it can only be good for a film if there indeed is one “big secret” behind all of the mysteries that are happening – like in this film here. Of course, without ever revealing what this secret could actually consist of. I say: it differs. Just to give you one example: “Cloverfield“. Creepy monsters are invading a big city – we can see the action taking place, but backgrounds are never explained. The clou is: what do the authors have left to do, then ? Right, almost nothing. If there is no reason for the events, then why bother about them at all… ?
It is cold out here… and it gets really creepy…
But now, back to the story. We as the audience can slowly discover how things are getting worser and worser. Somewhere out there seems to be an unknown source for the changing behaviour of the children. While this should have been a happy celebration time for all family members, the whole party changes into a serious nightmare. The children are starting to feel strange, they even seem to be sick and feeling a lot of pain. Then the first visions are appearing – and the first attack of one of the kids towards the parents. Well, to state it: I felt kind of strange watching these scenes. The makers are indeed trying to show the big differences between a “normal” children’s behaviour, and a sudden mutation who is infecting their minds. So we can see a bunch of happy children, playing out there in the snow – underlined with some very dramatic and creepy music; and slow-motion camera techniques. This mix is somehow unusual and new to me, and I do not really know what to think of it.
Paulie seems to be sick… he is behaving strange
But then again, the tension which is developing in the middle of the film is almost non-comparable. The real panic is very well played by all of the cast members, especially the children. They are screaming, the first serious injuries of the adults are occuring – it just makes you feel a creepy shiver down your back. The actual controversy of this film however is, that it portrayes children who are totally going mad – and even get killed; of course on purpose, as some kind of self-defense. I do not know how to thinkof this aspect. Since a big and important questions arises: how far can (or: should) you go when there are children involved in your production ? Is it out of question that no child should die (on purpose) in a film ? Or are there exceptions ? An interesting topic for a discussion ! But reconsider your thoughts – there are some more films in which children are killed, or nearly killed indeed because they are going mad (well, a bit more than that) – just think about the “Omen” or similar horror-flicks. I just hope that they would not extend, or better: pervert this the aspects children-pain-death even more in the future. No child should be harmed in any form, wether it is in the movies (now, again the question: an exception for horror-films with posessed children – what do you think?), or in real life.
Oh no, I just can not see any blood…
So to say: if we would just try to avoid thinking of two aspects here: 1. the fact that there is a certain, unbearable brutality within, and 2. The fact that there is no real story at all – one can only say that it is a really good horror-flick. Since it has got almost all that is necessary: a moody and cold winter-setting, a lonely house near the woods, people that are somehow getting posessed by an unknown source, a resulting panic and brutality. And a technical part that leaves no question about the makers capabilities. The camera work is just excellent, the visions and shocking effects are only thinly spread (good), the soundtrack is very, very dark and is perfectly fitting to the overall mood. And a cast, that stands even totally out of question. I have rarely seen a so authentic-seeming group of people in an extreme situation – because this certainly is one big challenge to actors; e.g. the group dynamics. Well…
What the heck is going on here… ?
I have been trying to be as objective as I can be, when it comes to the final rating. But, to state it: I just can not rate this film because of the two reasons I mentioned above (children + brutality, no real story). Is this a hardly tolerable masterpiece, or some kind of perverted artwork for a bloodthirsty audience ? Are there messages hidden there indeed – are the makers trying to say something with these events ? And if yes, what could this possibly be – that children have a hidden desire or instinct for harming people, one just have to release it ? Or, is there even some social criticism in it – that is referring to the bond between children and parents which is often abused ( a “children’s revenge”)? Well, maybe this already is too much of an interpretation. If we are looking at the story as it is – we can see children killing their parents, and parents killing their children – without any reason at all. All I can say is, that you should see this for yourself, maybe you could share your thoughts. The first film ever that I am not able to rate – 0.0/0.0.
Well, do you have any last words… ?
To me this film is a big disappointment . Almost nothing happened in the first 45 min then the scenes became full with cliches. That is probably why the tension you wrote about never developed in me – but instead what did develop was an annoyance . children + brutality is not a rare thing for films – take ” Song for a raggy boy ” for example or “Innocent voices ” The camera work on itself was not impressive – many effects were borrowed from the Final destination series – which by the way are better films when it comes to a splashy horror flicks. And I was not impressed with the acting delivered – so may be you can`t rate this one but for me it just seems that rating it is not worth it
i agree with skykid. this movie is such a disappointment. i can’t argue anymore. hmm.. and the ending? can please someone tell me what really happened? i really didn’t understand it.
however, the blood and everything, it scares me, but not like how final destination series does.