Can be found streaming on Tubi!

CHILDREN OF THE CORN: GENESIS (2011)

Directed and written by Joel Soisson
Starring Kelen Coleman, Tim Rock, Barbara Nedeljakova, Billy Drago, & Duane Whitaker

Well, He Who Walks Behind the Rows is walkin’ behind them rows again. Seems the sequels for the 1984 film about killer country kids worshipping a creature who lives in the cornfield are as endless as the corn fields in mid-America itself. In all honesty, the original film, adapted from a short story by Stephen King, was never one of my favorites. Sure you get a few cool performances from the child actors who played Malachi and Isaac and yes, it was done back when Linda Hamilton was a hottie and long before Peter Horton turned THIRTYSOMETHING and kicked ass as BRIMSTONE. I guess that story was fun, but it never really struck a chord with me.

I can see the appeal of the film, though. Never-ending corn rows are pretty frightening when lost amidst them and kids with sickles are even scarier. Having sat through some of the CHILDREN OF THE CORN sequels, I know how bad they can be. GENESIS is the latest version of the tale and compared to some of the other sequels, this one is a whole lot better. There is definitely a good creepy vibe going on throughout most of the film. Writer/director Joel Soisson takes his time doling out the creep in increasing doses as the film goes on. As with the original, a young couple’s car breaks down on the side of the road. They walk to the nearest town, which appears to be abandoned, save for one home occupied by Billy Drago who always knows how to creep up a screen. Drago (who is known as Preacher here) at first tells the couple to scram until he learns that the girl is pregnant. Preacher offers for them to spend the night with him and his mail order Ukranian bride, tells them not to venture into others’ business, couple then ventures into others’ business, the usual bad stuff happens.

Well, not the usual, because the film falls completely apart towards the end and I honestly have no idea who was on who’s side. Was Preacher trying to help the couple? Was he trying to get them to be parents to the little dirty kid he has in the barn? Why is there a stock footage car chase scene from a multi-million dollar movie laced into a story that had up until that point been a creepy, slow burner? If you’re looking for the answers to these questions, this film won’t provide them. CHILDREN OF THE CORN: GENESIS is worth a view if you’re more invested in scenes of slow chills. It does that effectively. Following a cohesive plot-line, especially towards the end…not so much.

Check out the trailer here!!