‘The Black-Eyed Children’ Review: An Engrossing Found Footage Mystery
After he impressed horror fans with efforts such as The Whispering Man, The Poltergeist Diaries, and A Stranger in the Woods, director József Gallai has now delivered yet another memorable found-footage horror picture withThe Black-Eyed Children. Gallai wrote the screenplay for The Black-Eyed Children alongside Roy McClurg Jr., and horror fans are likely to be impressed by this offering.
The film introduces us to Claire (Kata Kuna), a student who accepts a temporary job at an autumn camp. However, we immediately realize that something is off about her new position, as the managers at the camp don’t return her calls. Either way, Claire enthusiastically embarks on the four-hour car journey to the camp, unaware of the unfortunate situation that awaits. When she arrives, Claire finds the camp and the surrounding forest completely deserted. To make matters worse, she soon finds evidence of sinister occurrences at the camp. It looks like her chances of making it out alive are a bit bleak.
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Kuna delivers an adequate performance as Claire, with the actress managing to plausibly capture the tension the character feels as she realizes that something dreadful might be afoot. However, Kuna was less convincing in the scenes where Claire loses her temper. For instance, there’s a scene where Claire angrily shouts at a relative on the phone, but how Kuna delivers her lines feels forced and contrived. She’s also given some cringe-worthy dialogue throughout the film, which certainly didn’t help her performance. In one scene, she says, “What the Children of the Corn is going on here?” However, Kuna still depicts Claire as a boldly determined young woman who adamantly refuses to lose all hope when things get out of hand.
The initial scenes of Claire searching the deserted camp are suitably atmospheric and suspenseful, with the isolated setting and the cold and bleak look creating a strong sense of dread. However, these scenes eventually started to drag on for a little too long. Eventually, The Black-Eyed Children feels like a film where very little happens, as a significant portion of the runtime is devoted to Claire wandering around in search of other people. Thankfully, the runtime is just 70 minutes, so the film never overstays its welcome.
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The desolate and worn-down look of the buildings in the woodland campsite really did make it seem as though the place had been abandoned for years. Gallai deserves credit for finding such a suitably uninviting filming location. We’re also shown impressive aerial shots of the area to emphasize the feeling of isolation. Even from above, the campsite still appears completely deserted.
At the same time, the minimal cast allows us to feel completely engrossed in Claire’s situation. We really feel like we’re experiencing the same sense of isolation that she faces throughout the film. Aside from a few phone calls with people in the outside world, this is very much a story that focuses entirely on Claire.
The highly talented Bill Oberst Jr. does make an onscreen appearance as Mr. Donahue, a former counselor at the camp who witnessed the sinister occurrences that transpired on the premises. As usual, Oberst delivers a stunning performance, with Donahue quickly becoming a hugely engaging character as he struggles to maintain his composure while describing the camp’s sinister backstory. Oberst manages to convey a broad range of emotions throughout his minute appearance in the film, with Donahue expressing anger at the forces behind the sinister events while also holding back tears when he describes the horrors he’s witnessed.
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This becomes even more impressive when you take into account the fact that his scene had to be filmed in one take as it’s presented as a video call. Oberst really is one of the finest actors working in the indie horror scene these days.
Despite its title, the actual black-eyed children are only featured briefly in the film. Those hoping to see more of the titular antagonists will be sorely disappointed. Similarly, the supernatural elements are mainly just hinted at instead of being explored in great detail, which may also be a point of contention for some viewers. Instead, this is very much a film that focuses on atmosphere and building a sense of mystery instead of explaining things outright. If you’re OK with a story that refuses to spoon-feed you details at every available opportunity, you will find The Black-Eyed Children an adequately suspenseful and slow-burning story.
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The Black-Eyed Children
Summary
“: Despite its slow-pace and the long and uneventful portions of the plot, The Black-Eyed Children still proves to be a highly suspenseful and atmospheric story.
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