Movie Review: ‘Children Of The Pines’

Tweet
Review by James Lindorf

Joshua Morgan’s feature directorial debut shows signs of inspiration from famed directors Robin Hardy, Wolf Rilla, and Ari Aster. Featuring a script of his own creation and an original score from Sune Rose WagnerMorgan’s “Children of the Pines” will be available digitally on October 18th.

Riley (Kelly Tappan) was persuaded by her estranged parents, Kathy (Danielle J. Bowman) and John (Richard Cohn-Lee), to return home for the first time in three years over her winter break to mend their strained relationship. Before Riley even has a chance to settle in, she discovers that her parents have developed an unsettling friendship with her high school ex, Gordon (Vas Provatakis). Furthermore, there are now two mysterious children living in the house. As her visit progresses, Riley uncovers the truth about the unconventional couples therapy retreat that motivated her parents to take twisted measures to mend the issues plaguing their family.

The initial setup and outline of “Children of the Pines” was crafted with many great ideas and full of potential. Unfortunately, it falls well short of the rarified air home to films like “Village of the Damned,” “The Wicker Man,” or “Hereditary.” Those are lofty goals, and plenty of very well-made, very entertaining films don’t reach that level. Unfortunately, “Children of the Pines” is not even on their level.

Morgan has a good aesthetic and has something to say about regret and the search for redemption. Or maybe he was really motivated by the Faces/Rod Stewart song “Ooh La La.” After establishing the framework, Morgan struggled to find the pacing to keep the story moving forward without jarring the viewer with sudden changes. Instead of flowing smoothly over its 94-minute runtime, “Children of the Pines” grinds along before lurching forward to provide the next bit of intrigue or information. Adding in the substandard lighting that leaves things too dark or washed out often makes the film difficult to watch. Beyond the lighting the film’s cinematography does effectively capture the eerie atmosphere of the rural setting.

The most redeeming qualities of “Children of the Pines “are the characters’ structure and the actors’ performances. Each character’s motivation is clearly and consistently on display, drawing the audience into their world and making them feel invested in the story. While none of the actors will leave you with split sides, watery eyes, or a racing heart, they are all serviceable and do plenty to help the film and nothing to weigh it down.

Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Director: Joshua Morgan
Producer: Lucas A. Ferrara
Screenwriter: Joshua Morgan
Distributor: Freestyle Digital Media
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 18, 2024
Runtime: 1h 34m