Who Can Kill A Child
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''Who Can Kill a Child?'' (), released theatrically as ''Island of the Damned'' in the US, and ''Would You Kill A Child?'', ''Death Is Child's Play'' (original release) and ''Island of Death'' (1979 re-release) in the UK, is a 1976 Spanish
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
directed by
Narciso Ibáñez Serrador Narciso may refer to: Given name * Narciso Clavería y de Palacios, Spanish architect * Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa, Governor General of the Philippines * Narciso dos Santos, Brazilian former footballer * Narciso Durán, Franciscan friar and missio ...
. The film follows an English couple who find an island inhabited by maniacal children.


Plot

A montage of documentary footage depicts the effect of war on children. The film cuts from this mondo imagery to the story of English couple Tom and Evelyn (
Lewis Fiander Lewis Ernest Fiander (12 January 1938 – 24 May 2016) was an Australian film, stage, and television actor. Early life Fiander was born in Melbourne to Mona Jane (née King) and Walter Lewis Fiander, and educated at Trinity Grammar School, Ke ...
and
Prunella Ransome Prunella Jane Ransome (18 January 1943 – 4 March 2002) was an English actress, primarily active on television and in films. Early life Ransome was born in Croydon, Surrey. From 1952 to 1958 she lived in Fareham, England, where her father, Ji ...
), who are taking a vacation before the birth of their third child. They arrive on an island where they encounter grim-faced, silent children who seem to be the island's entire population. Throughout their stay, they witness the children behaving strangely. They later learn that the children are capable of violence; they have murdered just about every adult on the island. The couple are now forced to consider killing the children in self-defense. It is implied that the long list of atrocities and horrors brought upon children by adults' fighting and apathy has caused the island's children to take matters into their own hands. It is also shown that normal children are changed like the rest on the island merely by making eye contact with them. Tom reluctantly shoots one boy with a gun when they are cornered in a room. Trapped in the room, Evelyn is killed when her unborn child joins the island children and attacks her from inside. By the next morning, a weary Tom is completely alone. Tom eventually shoots an
MP-40 The MP 40 () is a submachine gun chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. Developed in Nazi Germany, it saw extensive service in the Axis forces during World War II. Designed in 1938 by Heinrich Vollmer with inspiration from its pre ...
at a group of children as he tries to escape the island, but the children follow him to the dock and attack en masse as he tries to cut a boat loose. As he tries to fight off the children, a Spanish military/police patrol boat arrives. The crew thinks that Tom is killing the children in cold blood, and one officer draws his weapon on him, ordering him to stay still. When he doesn't, the officer shoots him dead. The patrol boat docks, and the officers begin tending to the injured children, with the officer who shot Tom wondering aloud, "What kind of man…?" When asked where their parents are, the children point towards the town, and the three officers depart, leaving their boat and their weapons unsecured. One officer is stopped by a child calling out "Goodbye!" He turns to see that the children have boarded the patrol boat and are unloading its small-arms inventory. One of the boys kills the three officers with a rifle. The movie ends with a small group of children preparing to head to mainland Spain on a motorboat, taking care to go in low numbers to avoid suspicion. When one girl asks, "Do you think the other children will start playing the way we do?" the boy in charge grins and says, "Oh, yes… there are lots of children in the world. Lots of them".


Cast

*
Lewis Fiander Lewis Ernest Fiander (12 January 1938 – 24 May 2016) was an Australian film, stage, and television actor. Early life Fiander was born in Melbourne to Mona Jane (née King) and Walter Lewis Fiander, and educated at Trinity Grammar School, Ke ...
as Tom *
Prunella Ransome Prunella Jane Ransome (18 January 1943 – 4 March 2002) was an English actress, primarily active on television and in films. Early life Ransome was born in Croydon, Surrey. From 1952 to 1958 she lived in Fareham, England, where her father, Ji ...
as Evelyn *
Antonio Iranzo Antonio Iranzo (4 May 1930 – 7 July 2003) was a Spanish film actor in 77 feature films. He gained popularity for his acting in '' Island of the Damned'' and '' Cut - Throats Nine''. Iranzo began his artistic career in the theater, while w ...
as Padre * Marisa Porcel as Brit Van Der Holden *
Luis Ciges Luis Ciges Martínez (10 May 1921 – 11 December 2002) was a Spanish film actor. He appeared in 140 films between 1958 and 2002. His father was Manuel Ciges. Selected filmography * ''Historias de Madrid'' (1958) – Bombero (uncredited) * '' ...
as Enrique Amoros * Fabian Conde as Empleado * Miguel Narros as Guardacostas


Production

The film was based on a novel by
Juan José Plans Juan José Plans Martínez (February 28, 1943, Gijón, Asturias - February 24, 2014, Gijón, Asturias) was a Spanish writer, journalist, and radio and television announcer. He specialized as a writer in fantasy, horror, and science fiction, and publ ...
titled ''El juego de los niños'' (''The children's game'') and adapted for cinema by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador under his pseudonym Luis Peñafiel.


Release


Home video

Divisa released a Blu-ray plus DVD combo in Spain on May 2, 2016, exclusive to the retail chain FNAC as part of its Filmoteca Fnacional label. A regular Blu-ray followed on November 3. Mondo Macabro released the uncut version on Blu-ray on its site as a (region free) "Red Case Limited Edition" on May 28, 2018; a general release (in the USA and Canada) followed on July 10 (the regular edition omits the lobbycards and the booklet from the limited edition and has a different cover). Carlotta Films released a SteelBook Blu-ray in France on Sep 16, 2020; a regular edition followed on Apr 07, 2021. Stingray released a 45th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray in Japan on Jan 29, 2021.


Critical reception


Modern response

Modern critical response for the film has been mostly positive. Dennis Schwartz from ''Ozus' World Movie Reviews'' rated the film a grade B−, calling it "unapologetic downbeat" but criticized the third act as failing to capitalize on its interesting premise. Maitland McDonagh from ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' gave the film three out of five stars, stating that "it may be the finest variation on an enduring horror theme: The violent rebellion by children against cruel or indifferent adults". Felix Vasquez Jr. from ''Cinema Crazed'' called it "a harrowing disturbing look at the inherent evil children are capable of", and praised the film's unflinching narrative, disturbing sequences, and ending. Brett Gallman from ''Oh the Horror'' offered the film similar praise, as well as the film's "artful approach". Ian Jane from
DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
rated the film four out of five stars: "An intelligent, albeit very grim, thriller, ''Who Can Kill A Child?'' holds up well as a great piece of tension-filled filmmaking".


Legacy

''Who Can Kill a Child?'' has gained a cult following over the years since its initial release, and is now considered a
cult classic A cult following is a group of Fan (person), fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some List of art media, medium. The latter is often cal ...
. It later appeared at number 86 in ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
''s list of "The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time". Released in 2012, '' Come Out and Play'' is a Mexican remake that closely mirrors the plot of the original.


See also

* '' Beware! Children at Play'' – a 1989 American horror film * ''Children of the Corn'' (film series)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Who Can Kill A Child? 1976 films 1976 horror films Films based on Spanish novels Films set on islands Films based on horror novels 1970s Spanish-language films English-language Spanish films Horror films about child villains Spanish horror films 1970s Spanish films Spanish-language horror films