A supernatural horror film based on a short story of the same name by Stephen King, first published in the March 1977 issue of Penthouse, and later collected in King’s 1978 collection Night Shift. The story is about a couple who end up in an abandoned Nebraska town that is inhabited by a cult of murderous children who worship a demon that lives in the local cornfields.

The story has been adapted into several films, spawning a horror feature film franchise of the same name beginning in 1983 with a short film titled, Disciples of the Crow. The following year, it was adapted into a feature film, followed by nine sequels. The latest version, released in 2023, is considered the third attempt to reinterpret Children of the Corn.

A strange multiple homicide is currently unfolding in Rylstone, a rural town in Nebraska. The police and townspeople are baffled by the killings, which have been committed by Boyd (Rory Potter), a teenager who works in a cornfield. Boyd has brutally murdered several adults, and the motive for the killings is unknown.

The economy of Rylstone, a rural town in Nebraska, is currently in decline. The town’s traditional agricultural economy has been struggling, and its recent investment in GrowSynth, a genetically modified crop, has not been successful. In addition, the town is reeling from a tragedy in which 15 hostages were killed when the sheriff gave the order to use Halothane, a general anesthetic normally used in animals. The use of Halothane was unauthorized and reckless, and it has further damaged the town’s reputation. As a result, tourism has declined, and the town is struggling to find a way to rebound.

The town of Rylstone is in a state of economic collapse. Most of the shops are closed, and the townspeople are struggling to make ends meet. In an effort to prop up the corn market, the government has offered to compensate farmers who agree to destroy their cornfields. Many of the townspeople have agreed to this plan, hoping to use the compensation to start a new life elsewhere.

Bolyn (Elena Kampouris) is a young woman who believes that destroying the cornfield is not the only solution to the town’s problems. She plans to use the power of social media to expose the town’s people and their complicity in the government’s plan. She contacts Sheila Boyce (Anna Samson), a journalist who is willing to visit the town and investigate the story.

Bolyn is unaware that Eden (Kate Moyer) has been possessed by the evil spirit she met in the cornfield. Eden has become the leader of all the children in the town, and she is using her power to further the evil spirit’s agenda.

I am impressed by the atmospherics of the first half of the film, particularly the way the filmmakers have modernized the story for a new generation by incorporating smartphones and social media. However, these elements ultimately does not help developing new perspectives or interpretations of the story. In a world where everyone has access to the internet, it is strange that the children in this town are still playing in the cornfield as if it were 1977. Is this town in the Twilight Zone?

The film’s editing is a major flaw, as it fails to make us believe that a group of children could overpower and imprison all of the adults in the town. The children do not have any superpowers or magical abilities, so it is unclear how they are able to accomplish this feat. Additionally, the film does not provide any explanation for why Eden is able to control the other children.

Children of the Corn masquerades as a typical supernatural horror film, but it is ultimately a slasher film that revels in gratuitous violence and gore. The CGI used to depict the evil corn spirit is incredibly fake, to the point where it is more jarring and disturbing than the film’s attempts at scares. It is baffling that this level of CGI was allowed to make the final cut.

The most appalling aspect of this film is the illogical and unnatural decisions made by every adult character. One wonders if the world would be better off without them.

CHILDREN of the CORN was theatrically released in the United States on 3 March 203 by RLJE films. The film was released on Shudder on 21 March.