‘Eli Roth’s History of Horror’ Recap: ‘Chilling Children’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 205 of ‘Eli Roth’s History of Horror’.
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It has often been said, that the children are our future, and that phrase holds a lot of truth. For they are the only biological way that mankind survives, and that alone makes them supremely important to all of us. But that phrase goes beyond a mere biological push to procreate so that humanity thrives. Because those words are also a fine reminder that children are the only way that our society can become a better place. Something that can only be accomplished by setting them on the right path from the day they are born, so they can become fine people that will change the world. Which is quite the daunting task, and that is why a lot of parents experience plenty of anxiety and fears over raising a child right. The kind that definitely keep them up at night since there is no proper place to vent them or explore them, outside of fiction that is. And it just so happens, that the horror genre is the perfect place to properly examine such worries.

For scary movies are always the perfect place to let our fears grow and be conquered in a safe manner and it just so happens that horror films involving our fears when it comes to children have their own rich history, the kind that served as the focal point of this week’s episode of Eli Roth’s History of Horror. Since ‘Chilling Children’ took the time to examine what specific fears are often put on display in this sub-genre, such as how parents worry about whether or not their child will be born in a healthy and traditional manner. A notion that served as the centerpiece of the Larry Cohen film, It’s Alive, since that motion picture provided the audience with a worst-case scenario to some. For the baby in that motion picture was born as a grotesque monster, one full of deformity and an evil bloodlust of course.

But while there are parents who worry about their baby coming out just right on the day of its birth, a fear that preys upon mankind’s proclivity for perfection and uniformity, there are other fascinating fears to explore in this sub-genre. For we believe that children are born innocent and full of joy and wonder, and the thought that a child is born evil and incapable of being influenced by the powers of good, is a terrifying notion indeed. One that films like The Bad Seed, Children of the Corn or Village of the Damned do a fine job of exploring. For they feature plucky children that are consumed by evil and are hopeless when it comes to redemption, and the thought that these innocent minds could be born with evil and malice in their hearts sends shivers down an audience’s spines and oddly enough, these types of films serve as the perfect segue to our greatest fears when it comes to children.

Because every parent hopes that their child will retain their purity when they encounter the evils of the world and that they’ve done enough to set them on the right path, and the thought of them going to the proverbial dark side and embracing evil regardless of quality guidance, is something that definitely keeps parents up at night, and these are fears that are absolutely realized in Carrie and We Need to Talk About Kevin. Since we see Carrie White succumb to the madness of the world once its cruelty is revealed to her, allowing for her to embrace it and use it to her advantage when she can take no more of it. And of course, there’s something horrifying about watching Kevin become a monster before our eyes in the aforementioned latter film, not because he is capable of it, but because it appears as though his mother’s inability to properly commit to parenthood and give it her all in making him a good man has led to this kind of horrific failure. And these moments are relatable and horrifying in our minds, simply because our thoughts immediately turn to the parents when we see these kinds of incidents on the six o’clock news. Since we wonder what mom and dad did to fail these kids and if we as parents, have done enough to keep our kids from making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

If anything, this particular episode of this dynamic series, makes it clear that horror films that involve children and their corruption or dedication to evil, truly strike a primal chord in our souls. Partly because the subject matter is indeed unsettling, since it removes the air of purity and gentleness that we associate with children. But also because, these particular films offer a minimal escape from the everyday world. For a lot of them really do tie into the real world more often than not and are rife with topics that few like to discuss. Which means that mankind and its cruelty are put on full display in these tales and since that is the worst monster of all, these stories definitely rattle us and the show deserves serious kudos for pointing this out. Since you simply don't expect a horror documentary to mirror its subject matter and try and offer up something so poignant to its audience. But this is a series unlike any other and it is nice to know that Eli Roth's History of Horror is starting to evolve into something so much more. Until next time.

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