THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CHILDREN Review

Bizarre behavior from two siblings turns a quaint cabin getaway into a total nightmare. Starring Zach Gilford (Midnight Mass), There’s Something Wrong with the Children doesn’t do anything spectacularly different with its setting for the most part, and on the surface, it’s rather predictable. But in the end, it delivers something amusing and reminiscent of cult B movies.

Ben (Gilford) and Margaret (Alisha Wainwright) are excited for a weekend in nature with their friends Ellie (Amanda Crew) and Thomas (Carlos Santos) and their two children. During a hike, the group finds an old building with an unsettling massive pit inside — which the kids seem drawn to.

That night, Ben and Margaret host the kids for a sleepover so their parents can have some alone time. But in the morning, they discover the kids have snuck out. While frantically looking for them, Ben ventures back to that old building and witnesses the two leap into the pit, and to their deaths.

Sickened by what he’s just seen, he goes back to camp to break the news. However, the children are there without a scratch. He’s bewildered and soon grows concerned as the two youngsters begin showing peculiar and borderline threatening behavior.

With no one taking his concerns seriously, the weekend takes a disturbing turn as he has to deal with the growing hostility from the adults while uncovering what’s happening to the kids.

Released earlier this year under Blumhouse, There’s Something Wrong with the Children feels like a throwback flick, similar to the sci-fi thrills of the 70s and 80s. Though, it doesn’t quite sort out its tone for most of the film, as I wished it had leaned more heavily into its referential style, so you understand its intention sooner. But it settles into its rhythm by the end.

That unharmonious tone slightly leans into the aspects that feel underdeveloped. Or how there is something left to be desired, as far as explanations go. But the overall story and premise continue to keep your curiosity for the most part, and Gilford and Wainwright do a great job leading the charge.

There’s Something Wrong with the Children keeps an engaging pace and mostly settles into its schlocky inspiration during the third and final act. If you love a cabin-in-the-woods-style horror mixed with classic sci-fi elements, and old school *spoiler* movies, this one is worth checking out.