COME OUT AND PLAY

Come Out and Play (18)

Director: Makinov
Screenplay: Makinov
Starring: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Vinessa Shaw

The subject of “killer children” is an unsettling (in a good way) sub-genre within Horror. There are some very good films around demonic nippers. From the big-hitters like “The Omen” (1976) and “The Bad Seed” (1956), to the lower budget flicks like “Bloody Birthday” (1981) and “The Children” (2008). In each case, the films explore that strange ambiguity around kids. They are innocent and untouched by many of the world’s evils, but in tandem with that, many have a strong sense of immorality and a lack of empathy for any pain they cause (verbal and/or physical). After all, what is crueller than a pack of kids in a playground picking on the weaker members? I’m sure we all burn with some shame for things we may have subjected our fellow classmates to in school days. But as strong adults, we are unable to use any kind of aggressive retaliation against any of their harmful shenanigans, because it goes against our nurturing instincts. 

“Come out & Play” is a modern remake of a classic slice of Euro-Horror from the 1970’s called “Who Could kill a Child?” (1976). The film was based on a novel by Juan José Plans titled “El juego de los niños” (The children's game). The film depicts …. Well, I won’t go into the summary for reasons that will become apparent. Suffice to say that “Come out & Play” is a present-day version of the film and the book. Showing recently at the Toronto International Film Festival, it has now just been released on Region 2 DVD.]

The film starts with a young married couple, Francis (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and a heavily pregnant Beth (Vinessa Shaw) vacationing on the Mexican coast. They are desperate to get to an idyllic Island just on the horizon (the film never bothers to explain exactly why) and hire a boat from a local fisherman. As they reach the island they find it strangely deserted apart from a few children playing on the harbour. Taking refuge in an empty café and then a hotel, they become increasingly uneasy with the situation, particularly when Beth becomes stalked by a young girl who is obsessed with her unborn child. The seriousness of the situation leaps suddenly when they witness a scene of savagery on an elderly and defenceless man. Now realising that they are trapped, they must come to terms with their predicament and find a way to fight against a massed group of evil killers, although everything they believe in tells them not to…

Now first off… “Come out & Play” is not necessarily a badly made film. The two leads are quite engaging, the location is gorgeous, and the story is well structured. (NB: Although I could well do without yet another genre film being filmed in the “shaky-cam” documentary style that all directors seem fond of at the moment…). Having said that, it is an intensely disappointing film and a discredit to horror remakes generally….

This is a literal remake of “WCKAC?” It is remarkably close to achieving shot-for-shot mimicry of the film, with only Gus Van Sant’s “Psycho” just edging it out in terms of comparison (and we all know how we feel about THAT film, right Horror-lovers?). The attack on the old man, the “twist” involving the wife, the father in the hotel, the stand-off at the harbour, the ending, hell, even the burnt food in the Café is ALL exactly the same as the original film! There is practically no deviation at all to the original plot. There only differences I could see were; geography (the original is set on a Spanish Island), the date (both films are set in their respective eras), and a bit more gore in the most recent version. That’s it! Every major plot point is mirrored in both versions. Maybe I’ve been spoilt by recent superior remakes such as “Maniac” and “Evil Dead”, but isn’t the point of a remake to update and reinvent the concept behind the original? I mean even the atrocious remakes of “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” at least played with doing something different, as misguided as they might be…

Yes, there are chilling sequences with the kids playing with body parts and doing a gruesome version of MB games “Operation” board game (no flashing red nose though…), but this was already covered just as well in the original film. Also, at least “WCKAC?” made subtle reference as to the cause of the madness (A war montage at the beginning suggests that is some kind of evolutionary or alien influence to prevent further war-mongering by adults). Beyond a hint of mental telepathy, this is left wide open in “Come Out and Play”.

Even the opening credits smack of 70’s style with large-font for the title and the director “Makinov”. Ah, yes … “Makinov”. Apparently this goofball wore a mask during the shooting (and for interviews) and nobody knows who he is. He does, however, like to put his name in full-screen font and give grandiose explanations about his intentions. How that equates to watching a 70’s horror film, and then copying it exactly, I do not know. Apparently his next project is about animals becoming self-aware. Sounds like a remake of “Day of the Animals” (1977) or “Night of the Lepus” (1972) to my cynically jaded brain. Won’t be holding my breath…

DVD Extras:
Nada. No really. That IS the Mexican for nothing!

“Who could kill a child?” was an effective and squirm inducing film, and above all original. It was a product of its time. This is nearly a shot-for-shot remake, with only the date and geography changed, and some gore added. See the original and leave this pointless remake alone. No wonder “Makinov” wears a mask…