Review – BLESSED ARE THE CHILDREN (2016)

“You are not a human till you’re in my phonebook,” says late-comedian Bill Hicks during a bit on abortion. We know where he stands on the topic. But there are others out there who strongly disagree with him – some who might even go so far as to kill for their beliefs. It is the latter group represented in Chris Moore’s sophomore film, Blessed Are the Children. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17QcmePgiHo

Tracy (Kaley Ball) is having man troubles including an ex-fiancé who can’t let her go and a dude who’s just leading her on. So discovering she’s knocked up with someone’s kid isn’t exactly great news. But before she can go on The Jerry Springer Show she heads off to the local abortion clinic to solve the problem. Big mistake. She and her friends become targets for a group of religious fanatics hell-bent on putting sinners in their place…

The trailer for Blessed Are the Children didn’t set my hopes very high; thus, I went in expecting rubbish. But lo and behold! Blessed Are the Children defied expectations and delivered a solid ride.

The film is about single women attempting to navigate the dating world as much as it is about a crazy religious cult out to stop “sinners” from “sinning.” Borrowing elements from Psycho and Black Christmas, the film delivers solid thrills and plot turns that’ll keep you guessing and invested – not without some assistance from the well-developed characters. Each character has their own personality which elevates them above the usual slasher fodder.

The film enters solid splatter territory with a few kills – all of which utilize editing to cover up the budget limitations. Some might see this as a cop out, but it works surprisingly well and makes the kills appear more graphic and brutal.

Blessed Are the Children delivers some laughs as well, mostly at the expense of socially-awkward Erin (Arian Thigpen). A scene in which she attempts to pick up a guy only to have the guy tell her he’s gay is a standout, as is the scene when she loses her virginity.

Blessed Are the Children is an excellent entry in the horror genre and is sure to please fans. With well-developed characters, some good kills and nods to some of the classics, Blessed Are the Children shows writer/director/producer Chris Moore is a name to keep your eye on. This is definitely one film not worth aborting.