The Prodigy Movie Review

The following is a movie review “The Prodigy” by Marc Primo.

Release date: 8 February 2019

Director: Nicholas McCarthy

Language: English

Production companies: Orion Pictures, Vinson Films, in association with XYZ Films

Producers: Tara Farney, Tripp Vinson

The trailer for Nicholas McCarthy’s The Prodigy gives you a sense of hope that this horror flick has something new to offer. While the film sets up the viewer with an intriguing premise, a few plot holes midway causes it to plunge into mediocrity.

While there is no shortage on the creepy-kid genre, The Prodigy is good enough for audiences to give it a whirl. Revolving around eight year-old Miles and his odd behavior that is borderline psychopathic, the film opens up with the death of a serial killer who later on will reincarnate by taking possession of Miles.

The connection between the serial killer and Miles is revealed later on as the narrative goes deeper as the film succeeds in keeping you interested just as far. The ominous feel works and how the director sets up the viewer for some solid scares will keep you waiting for a promise.

By the second act of the film is where the true horror begins as you begin to ask the characters’ motivations, and later dismiss them as mere essentials to make the conclusion work. For non-critical horror fans, this film could generally work despite being very predictable.

Taylor Schilling as Sarah the mother, and Jackson Robert Scott’s Miles gave decent performances and complement the few effective jump scares that make the whole thing watchable. The way it risks itself into being a tad brutal is somehow impressive as well.

What could have progressed from a good premise and into a great twist, turned out to have a lack in smarts in the end, entirely failing to push for a great finale. If you’re into eerie visuals and is very forgiving in knowing what happens before they do onscreen, then The Prodigy is an enjoyable enough film to spend your time on. However, if you’re looking for something that will jolt your senses and leave you disturbed after watching a film, then it’s really better if you just moved along.

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