Review of The Brood (1979) by Sarah D — 11 Oct 2008

Not bad, but it lacked polish. At its core, "The Brood" tells a quite unsettling tale of psychological trauma and the hell it can wreak on people's lives. And the stylistic choice of manifesting that trauma in the flesh would have worked better if not for one thing.

Ultimately, it's the problem I end up having with all killer children movies: Why exactly should something half my size, and not even half my strength pose a threat? Especially when encountered one at a time (which admittedly isn't always the case in this movie). Even armed with a blunt instrument, the most any small child should be able to do to a grown person is give them a few bruises--MAYBE knock out a tooth. And the killer, rage children in "The Brood," while deformed, show no signs of possessing superhuman strength. And even if they swarm you, each one can lift, what? Maybe 10 pounds? What's to be afraid of?

Yet even in spite of that issue, "The Brood" still managed to have some truly disturbing scenes, as well as the underlying theme. None of the uncomfortable bits seemed to involve the killer rage children though; it was the adult actors (and the one playing Nola in particular) that carried this film. The sense of fear is subdued, but it's there, and it really only comes out strong towards the end.

Overall, if you can deal with a horror movie that necessitates thought and introspection, you might like "The Brood." But even then, it might not be something you'd actually want to own.