Stephen King has reached rarified air when it comes to adaptations. It is not longer a question if one of his books or stories is going to be made into a movie or television series, but when. It has even gotten to the point where there are remakes of the films that have already been adapted from his writings. Children of the Corn is the latest example. The 2023 version has no connection to the original film series that began in 1984 or the 2009 made for television movie, oddly, this is the third iteration despite the 1977 short story being of one of King’s less celebrated works, and stand on its own.
Like much of King’s earlier works, the premise is straight and to the point. A small town in Nebraska is taken over by a group of children. Worshipping an entity known as He Who Walks Behind the Rows, the kids take over the town and rule with ruthless authority. The new film modernizes some things – corn and the economy play a much bigger role – but the basic idea remains the same.
Things become confusing early on and the movie never bothers to clear things up. Children of the Corn is not hard to understand; it just does a lot of things that do not make any sense. Tension is set up between siblings Bo (Elena Kampouris, Shoplifters of the World) and Cecil (Jayden McGinlay) that does not go anywhere. For her part, Bo wants to help the town’s economy even though she will be moving away in a week. And the focus on corn is one of the most unintentionally funny things ever seen in a King adaptation, which is saying something.
Kate Moyer (The Handmaid’s Tale) is fantastic as the psychotic Eden Edwards. She fills the role of creepy kid perfectly and has the best lines in the movie. The rest of the cast just sort of fill space with the majority of them being given little to do aside from yell and stand around. Bo’s motivations are never really clear and things happen with little impact. On the plus side, it is not the worst thing in the Stephen King film library.
Children of the Corn comes to theaters March 3 and will be available On Demand March 21
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