Children of Sorrow (2014) Review Revisited

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“A young woman embeds herself in a cult looking for answers to her sister's disappearance, only to find a dark secret within the cult and an even darker secret within herself.” (IMDB)

Director: Jourdan McClure; Writers: Ryan Finnerty, Jourdan McClure; Stars: Bill Oberst Jr., Hannah Levien, Whitney Nielsen, et. al.; Released by: AfterDark Originals, LionsGate

I am Bill Oberst Jr.'s favorite, and he loves me. O.K., so it was actually the notorious cult leader Simon Leach who said it, from my TV screen, but that doesn't make any less real! I almost have my bags packed for Mexico. By the way, if you watch Children of Sorrow you will be his favorite too, and I'll see you there!

There have been many a movie to delve into the inner workings of cults, everything from the look at Manson's killer followers in Helter Skelter to today's Edgar Allan Poe quoting The Following TV series. Few have taken the first person approach of actually documenting the cult creation and growth like The Last Exorcist. But with all these movies about cults out there none have shown us the depth to which one person can go to make a group of susceptible minds feel wanted, loved, gain their trust, and ultimately abuse it, like Children of Sorrow. Jourdan and Ryan did their homework before putting this film together!

Of course the perfect twisted cult begins with a charismatic leader with enough brain power to concoct a pleasing experience for his flock. From his first appearance, Simon Leach is that man, he's done his research and knows what is expected of him and knows what he wants to get out of being their leader. Bill Oberst Jr. presents him to us with ease and the behind the scenes development is integral to to the story that is unfolding. This isn't his first rodeo, he has the clothes (earth tones because they are calming to the mind), the twisted sidekick (a very disturbing Mary), and the agenda. Obviously the next important factor to having a good/bad cult is faithful followers with weak enough minds to be brainwashed. Simon Leach acquires ten of these hapless souls, made up of an ensemble cast of convincing actors including the star of the side story, Australian born Levien as Ellen, who  believes she's there to infiltrate and find out what happened to her sister. Unfortunately her pessimism and desire for the truth may teach her a thing or two about her own lack of confidence.

Speaking of the story, I have heard the film described as a "slow burn" mostly because it takes awhile to get to the meat of the story. I'm one who would disagree since the meat is entirely dependent on the build up and McClure doesn't compromise by glossing over what makes Leach think he can control this group or leave out any of the proven techniques for turning any weak minded individual into your plaything. He does a great job showing the deterioration of a strong will through mind control, physical exhaustion, and acceptance. Which is really what the film is all about. Even the medium by which the story is told, found footage documentary from the cult leader's perspective, tells us this film is more about Leach's rise to power and what he does with it than anything else. That's why I see Ellen more as a side story than a major focus. This is not a bad thing, I like the fact that her issues interrupt Leach's plans from time to time without totally dominating the narrative.

To say that this isn't a film for everyone would be selling it short. Everyone who's ever thought a cult was a good idea, or does/doesn't  know much about the inner workings of cult behavior, should see this movie. It's a great companion piece to Helter Skelter and if you love Bill Oberst Jr. the way we do it's a pleasure to see him leading this fine cast through this disturbing tale that is probably closer to truth than fiction. Now back to my first statement above, I may not actually be his favorite, but let's keep in mind that he did profess his love for the Creepercast, and we will never let that go!

Til Next We Bleed,

J.P.

Top 5 Cult Leaders in Horror Films You Probably Haven't Seen Yet #3

#3 Bill Oberst Jr as Simon Leach in 'Children of Sorrow' (2012)

Desperate to discover what has become of her sister, Ellen (Hannah Levien) infiltrates Simon Leach's (Bill Oberst Jr.) cult. All she knows is that her sister was last seen joining his group in order to find herself, only to go missing after joining. Ellen is welcomed with open arms and although her initial intent is to search for her sister, she finds herself drawn to Simon's magnetic personality and message of love and acceptance. However what she soon discovers is that she, along with all of the cult's companionship-hungry members, are being manipulated to a more sinister and dark end than she could have predicted. 'Children of Sorrow' takes us behind the scenes of creating and maintaining a cult with the ever brilliant Bill Oberst Jr.

my thoughts on.... 'Children of Sorrow'

As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....

Found footage comes in my different shapes and sizes. Ever since 'The Blair Witch Project' was released in 1999, the genre has proven to be a marketable format for film makers and producers to keep costs low and profits high. It's also shown itself to be the preferred method for young directors, to make a movie no matter what kind of resources they have available. The problem is, that it's also flooded the market with a lot of bargain basement quality product. So much so, that the found footage genre has started to leave a poor taste in audiences collective mouths and made it a bit of pariah, especially in modern horror films. However, there are a lot of die hard fans out there that are still waiting for the next 'Blair Witch Project'. Among all of the cookie cutter product that's been produced, you still can find a diamond in the rough. When I started watching 'Children of Sorrow', I had no idea what I was in for. All I knew was that our patron saint, Bill Oberst Jr, was in it and was the lead. That was enough to make me intrigued. As soon as the film began, I realized that it was not your standard narrative, but a found footage style descent into darkness. For me, that's not a bad thing. I'm still a fan of the cinéma vérité style and was intrigued to see what director, Jourdan McClure, might bring to the table. What I got, was something that's lingered with me, ever since the credits rolled, after the third act was complete. That's not a simple feat, especially considering how many horror films I see in a year. I want to be shown something new or to feel that overwhelming sense of dread, that used to come more often, when I was younger. 'Children of Sorrow' brought all of those feelings back and has left me still puzzling over what I had seen.

The film tells the story of Simon Leach (Bill Oberst Jr), a man whose motives are clearly not pure from the moment the audience is introduced to him. He's being filmed by his partner in crime, Mary, as they begin to set the stage for some kind of semi-religious cult type retreat. As we get indoctrinated into his world, we begin to meet the men and women he would prey upon. One by one, their backstories are provided through exposition and character interaction. Slowly, things begin to take shape. At first, you feel that maybe the film title is a little misleading. That's something that doesn't last for long. Simon begins to reveal, what we think, are his true intentions, but not before the entire film takes a sharp left turn and the whole thing is turned on it's side. What happens over the rest of the second and third act, will shake you to the core and make you happy to be safe in your own home. It's not like anything I've seen portrayed in a film, outside of (maybe) Ti West's 'The Sacrament'. Even that film has a bit more redeeming qualities to it, if that's possible. This film shows the true heart of darkness and his name is Simon.

As fellow Creeps, you all know that I stray away from giving out too many details in my review. I'm a firm believer that experiencing what the writer and director have crafted is the only way to see a horror film. Too much information can kill an effective story and take away the gut punch contained within its run time. 'Children of Sorry' is a prime example of that. If I had gone into this film, knowing all I know now, it would have lost something. I was able, instead, to live out the moments that the naive main characters were forced to endure. It was unpleasant and off putting, but incredibly well done and something I won't soon forget. Once again proving that Bill Oberst Jr is an under utilized talent. Despite his lack of traditional Hollywood leading man qualities, he oozes charisma and swagger. He embodies each character that he portrays and never turns in less than a 110% performance. In this movie, he's surrounded on all sides, by fellow actors and actresses that jump feet first into the story and provide him with a solid base in which to move and breathe.

What more can I say about 'Children of Sorrow' other than, see it. Avoid all spoilers and just watch the movie unaware of any more than I've provided you in this review. It's a film that slid by under the radar and might be that weird little addition to your horror lexicon that you can introduce to your friends. All the while, hiding a sly little grin, letting them know that they're in for something special. I feel that this deserves a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Granted, it's not for everyone and could be difficult for some people to watch. Not that it's insanely gory, although it's pretty bloody, but that it's more psychological. Many of the most horrific death scenes are played out in short bursts of a few frames here and there. Some is more implied than shown and some are blatantly graphic. All of which, keeps you off balance and wondering what you may or may not see next. In the end, what are Simon's true intentions and what will happen after the credits have ended? You'll have to watch to find out. I only hope that this isn't a recruitment for Bill's personal fan club. If so, I could understand why people are dying to get in.



If you like this film, check out: 'The Sacrament', 'Red State' and 'Jug Face'

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