In the sub-genre of killer children films, “Who Can Kill a Child?” is the best I’ve ever seen. Sure, many people will choose “Village of the Damned” but for my money, it doesn’t equal the grit and grim atmosphere of director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador’s horror film. Not by a long shot. “Who Can Kill a Child?” experienced a lot of censorship and banning upon its initial release, because it’s a film that doesn’t flinch from its premise.
“Who Can Kill a Child?” builds like a slow boiling pot that’s just waiting to explode, and when it does, it’s a harrowing disturbing look at the inherent evil children are capable of. If faced with the decision to kill your child, could you? Even if they were more than willing to mutilate you and violate you in as grotesque a way as possible? That’s the conundrum Tom and Evelyn face when they arrive in a Spanish island for a day of dining and dancing. When they begin exploring the island, they discover that much of the residents are nowhere to be found while the shops and restaurants are deserted. The only people to be found are little ankle biting rug rats with dead eyes.
After a grim discovery of torture, the touring duo discover that the island has been overrun by homicidal children who have murdered and mutilated the adult population inexplicably. The tour becomes a fight for survival as Tom must bring down his guard to be able to kill the children who will stop at nothing to get to the couple, while Evelyn, who is about to give birth, finds her baby at welfare. Much of the film relies on building tension and uneasy silence that keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. The children are utterly horrifying and the explanation for their source of sudden evil is utterly ambiguous and left to the imagination of the audience.
Along the way there are a ton of memorable sequences including an old man being used as a pinata, a little girl’s manipulation of her father to get him out in the open, little kids who suddenly turn on their mother, and a shocking scene involving Evelyn that will keep viewers gazing in absolute disbelief. Much of what makes these kids evil is left unanswered and wildly ambiguous, but it doesn’t tarnish what is a suspenseful and creepy horror thriller with a surprise ending, and final scene just waiting for a sequel to continue the narrative. I’ve seen my fair share of movies featuring psychotic kids, but this one takes the cake. Look for it and be in awe at what kids do when they outnumber the adults.