The Children (2008) Tom Shankland

A relaxing Christmas vacation turns into a terrifying fight for survival as the children begin to turn on their parents.

Firmly established in the effective, and surprisingly popular (..among horror buffs) killer kids genre, The Children is extremely unpleasant and disturbing because the two boys and two girls are adorable, with faces so pure and innocent that their violent actions will obviously leave a lasting impact. Just the thought of your children becoming infected with some sort of parasitical illness that causes them to kill in such horrific ways is potent, powerful material. And this film is placed amongst such a striking setting, an extravagant estate set upon a wintry property surrounded by a forest separated from society, the kids can move about at their leisure, and do so, attacking ferociously when need be as the adult victims are perpetually dumbstruck at the deeds of the children, some defending themselves when forced to adding another chilling component: if you have to kill them in self-defense, who on the outside world will believe you. The adults are trapped in a conundrum for in order to survive, they will have to commit the unthinkable in ordinary circumstances. The horror genre is often ridiculed, but territories explored like in The Children offer a "what if" scenario that taps into a terrifying nightmare. And, the conclusion only magnifies this to an alarming degree.