The Child (1977)

(AKA: Zombie Child - Hide And Go Kill - Children Of The Night)

My rating - 5/10

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After a car accident on her way to a new job a housekeeper arrives at the house but quickly discovers that the eleven year old daughter hides a very dark secret.

This movie is very strange, surreal and weird. Sadly for a lot of people though it'll also be far too slow moving, especially during the first hour or so. Strangely though I've always had a bit of a soft spot for this pretty obscure little movie. The acting and dialogue isn't great, the effects are passable, but, there's just something about it that I just find quite enjoyable.

It's often hard to figure out what year it's set in, some say it's the 1930s, or maybe after the accident Laurel Barnett's character is transported into an alternate universe, in fact it's so surreal that it's quite possible that's the case. There's a little gore here and there, lots of spooky goings on and even a zombie attack in the final act. Rosalie Cole is good as the creepy child who likes to play in the cemetery with her "friends". It was obviously filmed on a low budget and they managed to create some genuinely atmospheric scenes, but unless, like me you're into movies that are slow moving, surreal or just plain weird then I can't recommend this one to casual horror fans.

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