It
is probably impossible to make straight-up voodoo horror films, like The Believers or The Serpent and the Rainbow these
days, because of increased sensitivity concerns (Santeria is a
religion, after all). However, it seems it can still be used to ward off evil
spirits. Unfortunately, a Haitian grandmother might not be strong enough to
expel the evil from her spoiled-rotten grandson in Only Child, the latest episode of Two Sentence Horror Stories, which premieres tonight on the CW.
Desi
has just moved in with her grown son, his wife, and their little boy Rex.
Granted, everyone will need time to adjust to the situation, but Rex still seems
a little off. He definitely has boundary issues and he clearly expects to have
his own way in all things. This could be partly attributable to his parents’
self-esteem-over-discipline approach to child-rearing. They earnestly tell Desi
they try not to use the “no” word with him. Yet, there is still an element of
hostility in his behavior that his parents refuse to see.
Of
course, Desi can recognize bad spirits when she is in the presence of one, but
Rex’s parents are way too modern for that kind of mumbo jumbo. That
generational and cultural divide will put Desi in a rather perilous position.
Yes, there is definitely talk of the “evil eye” in Only Child, but it still scrupulously maintains its cultural
sensitivities. That is all well and good, but the important thing is the creepy
tone director Nikyatu Jusu achieves.
As
Rex, Jaiden Smith is one heck of a sinister bad seed-demon spawn. This kid
would truly be a play date from Hell. Likewise, Sharon Hope portrays Desi as
quite a credible and identifiable figure reacting incredulously to her son’s
Summerhill-style parenting and with horror to Rex’s escalating aggression.
Screenwriter
Leon Hendrix uses the horror genre to effectively satirize the discipline-free
style of parenting, but that also provides a believable context for Rex’s evil
blossoming. At some point, somebody should have said “no” to this kid, but nobody
did. Arguably, this is definitely one of the best written instalments of the
current season of Two Sentence Horror
Stories. Highly recommended for horror fans, Only Child premieres tonight (9/5), on the CW.
