Child Eater (2016)

Child Eater (2016) a babysitter tries to reᴀssure little Lucas that he’s only imagining that the boogeyman lives in his closet—until she realizes that Lucas is right.
Available for free on Tubi and Amazon Video.

Fan Review: “Child Eater” is a more than admirable attempt to revive a specific type of sub-genre, namely films that are probably best described as “boogeyman horror”. Movies that bring to life eerie monsters that were initially invented to petrify little children, but then turn out to be frightfully real for kids and adults! In this context, I spontaneously think of semi-classics like “Jeepers Creepers”, “The Gate”, “Troll”, “Monster in the Closet” or “The Boogens”, but “Child Eater” is actually a lot darker and more sinister than those.

The tone, atmosphere and evil nature of the boogeyman here is more reminiscent to “Candyman” or the original “Nightmare on Elm Street”. Mind you, I’m not saying the overall film is as good as those classics, but merely that the тιтular monstrosity is truly nightmarish and his background story is ultimately morbid. Writer/director Erlingur Thoroddsen – I think we better keep an eye on him – makes it clear straight from the beginning that the tale he wishes to tell is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ serious. During the atmospheric opening sequences, the camera follows around a blond little girl who wanders around all alone in the woods.

Only when a person approaches her to offer help, she turns around and we learn that the poor kid is holding her own eyeball in her hand. Don’t know about you, but this is definitely one of the spookiest yet most attention-grabbing intros I’ve seen in quite a long time! 25 years later, the same area is still under the spell of the notorious child murderer Robert Bowery. He used to be a friendly petting zoo owner, but a dreadful disease caused him to go slowly blind � and utterly mad. Bowery became convinced that he wouldn’t go blind for as long as he murdered young children and ATE their eyes. But that was a long time ago. Bowery was killed, his story became an urban legend and only occasionally there are still reports of a mysterious figure dwelling around in the woods.

When 7-year-old Lucas comes to warn his babysitter Helen that there’s a monster in his closet, she sends him away because she has more serious problems on her mind. But then Lucas vanishes into the night. As Helen goes further and deeper into the woods to look for him, she begins to realize that the monstrous killer is back. I really enjoyed “Child Eater” a lot. It’s definitely not the most original horror story, but it benefices tremendously from the desolate ambiance, grim set-pieces and the menacing тιтular monster. Bowery is a tall creep with thick dark glᴀsses, ginormous ears, rotting teeth and a constant petrifying grin on his face. He actually looks a lot like Michael Berryman… Thoroddson doesn’t waste any energy on unnecessary humor and there’s plenty of room for gore and bloodshed next to the eerie suspense. The acting performances are adequate enough and although there are some minor flaws, “Child Eater” is an impressive long-feature debut.

Related Posts

‘Cujo’ – 2025 – First Trailer

‘Cujo’ – 2025 – First Trailer

Review: Cujo (2025) – First Trailer The first trailer for Cujo (2025) has finally arrived, and it promises a chilling reimagining of Stephen King’s classic horror story. Directed by James Wan, the film brings a fresh, modern take on the terrifying tale of a rabid St. Bernard that turns a family’s worst nightmare into reality. […]

Alien Earth (2025)

Alien Earth (2025)

Hulu and FX have unveiled a tantalizing teaser trailer for their upcoming sci-fi series “Alien Earth,” set to premiere in 2025. The trailer hints at a gripping narrative that explores humanity’s struggle against an unknown extraterrestrial threat.The teaser opens with a chilling directive: the creation of a “superior species” designed to obey and control. As […]

🎬Ballerina: A John Wick Spin Off Movie (2025)

🎬Ballerina: A John Wick Spin Off Movie (2025)

Ballerina is an upcoming American action thriller directed by Len Wiseman, with a screenplay by Shay Hatten and Emerald Fennell, based on a story by Hatten. This film marks the first spin-off from the John Wick franchise and takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and John Wick: Chapter […]

🎥Blade | Trailer 2025 |

🎥Blade | Trailer 2025 |

Marvel Studios’ Blade (2025) introduces a bold and fresh take on the legendary vampire hunter, exploring the origins and legacy of the Daywalker while delivering the trademark action and intensity fans have come to expect. Mahershala Ali stars as Eric Brooks, a.k.a. Blade, a half-vampire, half-human hybrid with all the strengths of a vampire and […]

Hobbs & Shaw 2

Hobbs & Shaw 2

The movie picks up with Hobbs and Shaw being forced into yet another high-stakes mission, one that threatens global security. This time, the danger comes from a new, more menacing adversary—an organization that has emerged from the shadows with technology far beyond what they’ve encountered before. The villain, possibly a tech-savvy mastermind or a super-powered […]

Alien: Earth (2025)

Alien: Earth (2025)

Alien: Earth (2025) is a science fiction thriller set in the near future, where humanity makes a groundbreaking discovery. Scientists detect unusual signals originating from a distant exoplanet in the habitable zone of a faraway star system. As Earth’s most advanced space missions prepare for a daring expedition, they uncover a startling truth: the planet […]