Quin puede matar a un nio? (Who Can Kill a Child?)(Death is Child's Play)(Island of the Damned) poster & wallpaper
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Lewis Fiander, Prunella Ransome, Miguel Narros, Antonio Iranzo, Marisa Porcel ... see more see more... , María Luisa Arias , Javier De La Camara , Juan Cazalilla , Lourdes De La Camara

Children strike back at adults in this chilling horror film from director Narcisco Ibanez Serrador. While vacationing on the remote island of Almanzora, Tom (Lewis Fiander) and his pregnant wife Evely... read more read more...n (Prunella Ransome) notice only giggling children. They wonder where all the adults are, until Tom spies a little girl beating an old man to death with his own walking stick. The man is then hung up in the town square and used as a piñata by the scythe-wielding children. Tom soon discovers that the demonic youths have killed every adult on the island, because none would ever fight back if it meant killing a child. Even Evelyn's unborn baby is affected, and Tom becomes the target of gunfire as the children go after him. Aside from a silly ending, Serrador's film is remarkably effective, slowly introducing the situation and playing on both xenophobia and cultural taboos while building an atmosphere of mounting dread. Unlike most Spanish shockers, this is not an unintentionally funny melodrama or a sexually-charged exploitation item. It is a serious-minded horror film with a message, based on Juan Jose Plans' novel The Game, and is both worthwhile and frightening. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

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78% liked it

1,787 ratings

R, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Narciso Ibanez Serrador

Release Date: April 26, 1976

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DVD Release Date: June 26, 2007

Stats: 173 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (173)

  • FilmFanatik
    December 7, 2010
    FilmFanatik
    Ok, so the film isn't anywhere near the quality of an underground cinema classic that I was hoping that it could be. Starting off with the footage that opens the movie during the credit sequence and everything leading up to the hour and fifteen minute mark is an absolute wastela... read morend of pure and utter boredom. Nothing happens in the story for over an hour. I guess it's meant to serve as a build-up in tension and character development, but both of those concepts fail tremendously. It's not that there isn't some semi-interesting things going on, but the problem is they're not given much attention. I can understand the focus of the film is primarily the idea of harming children and what effect that has on us as adults and why it would be so difficult to bring that harm if you're fighting for survival, but the archival footage of children in death camps and starving countries during the credits really does nothing to serve that focus. After all, we're supposed to be hating these little bastards, right? I mean they're murdering all of the adults and using mind control of some sort (a bit that's never explained) to control each other. The focus is so ambiguous in narrative that it makes the entire film an uneasy and boring sit-through. Why am I watching this? What's the point? In other words, questions that are never answered. I don't mind things being left open to intrepretation, but when the focus is so out of itself that I can't follow simple plot devices then I know I'm watching something that didn't have a specific vision. I can't even care about the pregnant couple and the ordeals that they're subjected to. It takes them an entire hour and fifteen minutes of screen time to figure out what's going on, and that is just exruciatingly painful to watch. On the plus side, the final 20 minutes of the film are actually the most interesting and powerful, but it takes so long to get there that it's hardly worth the effort. There are some interesting ideas laid out in the film (even with the now cliche'd evil killer children storyline). However, the water is so muddied that it's hard to see through to the bottom. I can't say that I recommend this, unless it's for those wanting to see what all of the controversial fuss was all about and why it was never released in the US in its full uncut form. Now that it has, check it out, and see if you're just as perplexed and indifferent as I am.
  • ythelastman89
    November 18, 2009
    ythelastman89
    I love the topic and the hilarious brutality of the film. It's a great idea, from what I can tell it gained a lot of inspiration from Lord Of The Flies. It's a what if scenario and the execution was nearly perfect. It felt like Hitchcock, then Polanski and trailed off into its ow... read moren feel.
  • RCCLBC
    August 27, 2009
    RCCLBC
    The first (very disturbing) five minutes of this film consists of actual archival footage of the atrocities of war, famine and genocide and is more horrific then most of the scenarios presented in any fictional story.

    Once you get past that, what you'll find is a pretty solid ... read morepiece of horror / thriller film making. Think "Children Of The Corn" meets "Village Of The Damned".

    While it suffers a bit from the HORRIBLE 1970's "special effects", it redeems itself with the (rare but impressive) 1970's "anyone can die, including children" mantra which I'm a big fan of. I find it ammusing that although films continue to get more graphic and realistic in regardes to the HOW people are killed, the very idea of a dead child is for some reason too hard for us to comprehend? Not that I'm promoting child murder in reality, but (if presented in a non-gratuitous manner) it can be a very powerful tool for telling a story.

    I'm also always ammused when (in a foreign film) a "national" plays American or British (with no attempt at even an English accent). I guess it's pay back for all of the Brits (and American) actors who throughout film history who have played everything from Nazi's to Spanish Kings with the same lack of authenticity.

    Over all this was a very nice surprise and well worth a watch for horror fans.
  • kenstachnik
    August 23, 2009
    kenstachnik
    Plenty of fun but in need of more pedicide.
  • adammahler1
    March 18, 2009
    adammahler1
    feel a bit queasy about the opening credits using what seemed like a full 5-7 minutes of historical footage of killed, injured and starving children...but after that, this was a great thriller; its style moves from the newsreels to a news-travelogue look to basically following th... read moree perspective of the married protagonists, and this situates the heros' self-defense in the context of children dying in adult games; the deranged children were both creepy killers and creepily innocent at the same time
  • jimbotender
    October 6, 2010
    jimbotender
    A lost treasure amidst the cinematic ocean,the question is: do you dare watching a film where only the idea of killing a child is necessary?The much-talked footage in the beginning is the premise for a haunting adventure under the boiling sun.The couple as an allegory of drifting... read more souls,preys for children-hounds.Amazing!
  • divinetrash
    February 28, 2010
    divinetrash
    From the second the movie starts (with the creepy laughs and lalalas) it quickly establishes and unsettling mood and high tension, until it reaches its climax and then kinda drags on without knowing what to do for the last 20 minutes.
  • Hellshocked
    August 28, 2009
    Hellshocked
    A sometimes interesting and sometimes cripplingly flawed film that shoots itself in the foot too many times to be great but is strong enough overall to be good.
  • John2223
    March 26, 2009
    John2223
    Well done film with an interesting concept. It is more a thriller than horror. The acting is good and the action is tense. Surely inspired Stephen King's "Children of the Corn" short story.
  • patrickdol
    December 31, 2008
    patrickdol
    This rarely talked about film is actually one hell of a standout in the killer kid genre. The director knows how to build tension and creep you the hell out. The topic of the film, and I'm giving nothing away as it's in the title, deals with the idea of children being the ultima... read morete threat because "Who Can Kill a Child?". Not only is the idea presented but it's dealt with very well. It's no wonder why this film would have been banned or cut as it's pretty horrible it parts, but very good at the same time. This one would be excellent for any horror fan or just someone who wants a film to affect them, rather than leave then dry, as long as you don't mind a film boiling up, and not just throw shit at you right away. Of course there are some odd, maybe laughable parts, as this film's subject is hard to portray well, but it's still one heck of an affecting movie.

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Critic Reviews

Anton Bitel
May 23, 2011
Anton Bitel, Little White Lies

chillingly creepy and unflinchingly confrontational Full Review

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