When notorious serial killer Robert Bowery
hatched the macabre idea to ingest the eyes of children to reverse his chronic
ocular deterioration, it spurred a series of ritualistic murders that deeply
scarred the upper Midwestern community. Not to be encouraging or condoning, but
it apparently worked, considering he is not effectively immortal and darned
near omniscient. People now like to think Bowery is just an urban legend
(albeit of a distinctly rural variety), but a baby-sitter and her charge are
about to learn otherwise in Erlingur Thoroddsen’s Child Eater (trailer
here), the
feature fix-up of his 2012 short film, which screens during the inaugural
Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
Matthew Parker just bought the old Bowery
house, obviously because the price was right. Naturally, he didn’t tell his son
Lucas anything, but of course the boy can run a google search, so he probably knows
more than his dad. Frankly, Helen Connolly was not in the mood to babysit the
creepy Parker kid, but her father the sheriff volunteered her anyway. Unfortunately,
she dismisses his concerns about scary noises until Bowery has already abducted
him right under her nose. Motivated by a sense of guilt and genuine concern,
Connolly heads into the woods after them, dragging her disposable boyfriend
with her.
Eater
has
the distinction of being an Icelandic and American co-production, but there is
nothing that particularly distinguishes the film from a legion of similar
horror movies built around Candyman-style
bogeymen. In this case, Bowery’s backstory somewhat creepier than usual.
Thoroddsen also displays a nice touch with the interpersonal relationships,
particularly Connolly’s friendship with Casey, her gay best friend, who just started
working as her father’s newest deputy. As the rookie law officer, Brandon
Smalls is indeed the standout of the competent but not especially memorable
cast.