Movie Review: The Child Remains (2017)
Inspired by events surrounding the infamous true story of the “Butterbox Babies”, The Child Remains is easily one of the best indie horror films we have had the pleasure of watching. Written and directed by Michael Melski, The Child Remains is an atmospheric paranormal horror/thriller that has a lot of depth and a really great story that isn’t common in most horror films. The story starts in 1973 at a home for unwed mothers called “Mercy”. Some pretty bad things happened there, and the house has some interesting history to say the least. It picks back up in the present day where a husband and wife Rae (Suzanne Clément), and Liam (Allan Hawco) show up to a now Bed and Breakfast inn called “Mersey” so that they can celebrate Rae’s Birthday. When they get there they find that they are in for much more than the relaxing birthday weekend they had in mind when the dark past of the house begins to reveal itself.
When they arrive, they find Monica (Shelley Thompson) is waiting to greet them. Shelley Thompson was a very nice surprise to see here. She was in Labyrinth, one of our personal favorite non-horror shows and widely popular The Trailer Park Boys as “Barb Lahey” and she is an outstanding actor/actress. She really helped set the tone for this film, and it really shows how versatile she is. Suzanne Clément and Allan Hawco also have a wealth of acting experience, and it really all shines. Everyone involved did a fantastic job in the acting department.
Rae, and Liam meet Monica, who explains that her mother had previously owned the building and she had recently turned it into the Bed & Breakfast it is now, and Monica shows them to their room. Rae starts experiencing some really odd flashes where she is seeing moments from the past. She is an investigative journalist by trade, but also somewhat of a clairvoyant. and decides that there are too many weird things happening to not investigate. Liam also experiences his own share of paranormal activity as well but doesn’t want to believe it. Rae finds out that some secrets are best kept untold.
There were quite a few things in this film that were really great. There was a “Ghost Box” which is a device that Thomas Edison allegedly invented to speak with the dead. This hasn’t really been used often in a lot of films and was executed well here. It was very creepy. The colors were overall also very minimal and bleak, which really adds to the atmosphere of the film. There were also some ghosts and other paranormal events. These things, along with the great score and cinematography, really helped to paint a nice creepy atmospheric picture, and it even throws you some curveballs along the way to keep you guessing.
Overall, we absolutely recommend that you watch The Child Remains. It is a very well-rounded paranormal horror film with just about anything you could ask for, and more. The atmosphere of this film was unsettling to say the least and didn’t rely on cheap jump-scares. The acting was great, the production quality was great, and it has a story that has a lot of original elements to it.
Website: https://www.thechildremains.com
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