User reviews

There are certain things that are just plain horrible. But not far removed from ... reality. I mean characters - or how certain kids act and react. Testing things out - doing stuff that can be considered evil by any moral compass and code.

Having said that, this takes this evil to another level. Not to mention that the movie is ... quite fantastical. There are things here - that kids fantasize about ... but never really happen (at least not in our universe). The kids are not all alright ... but they are phenomenal when it comes to the acting. Which is pivotal, considering they are the main actors here. Beautifully shot, edited and a really good sound design, help the movie to reach and hold the viewers attention ... and then some. Certain scenes may be too graphic - but also quite a punch in the gut for some viewers. The movie is relentless ... and does not hold back ...

Premise of horror films are being experimented throughout but this one is audaciously unique in style and approach. Vogt's supernatural tale is gruesome,disturbing but still an investing watch. In the final moments of the film,it's impossible not to be glued on the screen. The performances,cinematography,direction are top notch.

Another treat from the writer of Thelma (2017) and Louder Than Bombs (2015). It is a slowburner but never loses suspense thanks to fluid direction, good cinematography and superb performances from the child actors. The premise is original and the atmosphere heavy and dark. A very interesting way to tackle the loss of innocence. If you like dark thrillers with supernatural elements, you should not miss this one.

Drenched in dark, dreadful & foreboding atmosphere and steered by terrific performances from its young cast, The Innocents (De uskyldige) is slow, patient & measured in its approach but the tension & terror it invokes from its ominous build-up & gradually intensifying drama is unnerving & unsettling in suffocating doses, and ranks amongst the most gripping, absorbing & disturbing examples of its kind.

Written & directed by Eskil Vogt, the premise takes its time to set up and character introductions are proper yet there is this feeling of uneasy apprehension that pervades the air & is perceivable from early moments. And it only heightens as the plot progresses once what started as four kids exploring their mysterious powers takes a dangerous turn. And from thereon, the picture has our attention within its grasp.

Assisting the story in sustaining its chilling vibe & disquieting tone is the menacing camerawork, brooding score, slow-burn pace & sudden violence while the young actors play their respective parts with deft composure and are highly convincing in their roles. Their credible input is a vital ingredient that makes this drama work and these children navigate & articulate all the required emotions with surprising authenticity.

Overall, The Innocents addresses themes of friendship, loneliness, morality, cruelty, curiosity & loss of innocence through the bonding they forge and the hidden powers they discover in each other's presence. Unrelenting in its mood & smothering in its intensity, this Norwegian chiller is as uncomfortable as it is uncanny, never allows the suspense to leave the room and concludes with a haunting finale that lingers long after the credits roll.

Are you tired of the conventional "horror/thriller" movies? Then this one might be for you. It is by no means scary at any time, but it surely pushes the boundaries of what you expect to see in a movie, where children are the lead characters, this might upset your stomach at times, but this provocative choice is by design.

The supernatural/abnormal aspects are never fully explained though, which shouldnt be an issue in a fantasy scifi genre, but at least a small attempt towards some concept justification would have been desired. Still a very gripping film to watch, which could have been 20mins shorter to get a better score!

The Innocents follows four children who become friends during the summer holidays. Out of sight of the adults, they discover they have hidden powers. While exploring their newfound abilities in the nearby forests and playgrounds, their innocent play takes a dark turn and strange things begin to happen.

Even though a vast majority of the film's most crucial elements take place out of sight of the adults, The Innocents is a look at the various methods of parental nurturing and fostering the ability for the children to become their best selves. Three vastly disparate families with different ethnicities, backgrounds, and social situations yields an environment for conflicting approaches to the kid's newfound abilities. For every groan and eyeroll for a superhero movie that spouts about the responsibility that great power brings, this film is a direct response to what happens when power is bestowed upon people too young to fully comprehend its capacity and potential. The Innocents is a story about exactly that; the loss of innocence as unchecked power is given an environment to manifest and fester, and the unfortunate consequences that follow.

Starring Rakel Lenora Fløttum, The Innocents starts as an analysis of Ida, a girl moving with her family to a new town. The idea of neglect is the central issue as the audience is privy to Ida's treatment of her older sister Anna (Ramstad), who lives with autism, demanding more care and attention from their parents. Fløttum as Ida is an absolute nightmare of a kid, inflicting any number of horrible acts upon her unsuspecting sister and her streak of cruelty is shown time and again. Fløttum delivers a magnificent performance that takes a full arc throughout the course of the film with a wide array of conflicting emotions that play out in both verbal and nonverbal cues. Ben, the first new kid she meets played by Sam Ashraf, veers in the opposite trajectory as Ida; after the initial bond is created, it's clear to see that the same dark current of cruelty Ida possesses also runs through Ben yet stemming from different circumstances. Ashraf is brilliant as the tortured young boy; with cold eyes and a colder demeanor, Ben's menace is possibly the creepiest aspect of the film.

Also starring Alva Brynsmo Ramstad as Anna, Ida's sister, the actress tasked with the hardest role in the film: playing a non-verbal autistic character who slowly comes into her own as the kid's powers develop. While a neurotypical actress to play an autistic character could be seen as problematic, Vogt handles the characterization deftly, making sure Ramstad doesn't veer into a cliche of the illness, a la Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. With the material she's given, and the direction from Vogt, Ramstad turns in a stellar performance, transitioning into an awakening and awareness that is both stirring and heartbreaking. Rounding out the cast of kids that gain these strange powers is Aisha, played by Mina Yasmin Bremseth Asheim, who spends most of her time communing with Anna. Asheim, possibly the youngest, but by far the wisest of the group, is an old soul stuck in a young person's body. Asheim plays the role with an extreme clarity, the heart of the group that is the first to push back against Ben's whims. Aisha's bond with Anna is one of the sweetest aspects of the movie, facilitating not just a change in Anna but also a change in Ida's relationship with Anna.

Directed by Eskil Vogt, who spent a majority of his career co-writing movies with director Joachim Trier (to include the 2021 darling The Worst Person in the World), The Innocents marks Vogt's shift into directing for himself. Starting with this simple, well thought out low-stakes film, Vogt shows a keen eye for mood and atmosphere, pulling incredibly haunting performances from his cast of young children. From a writing standpoint, Vogt's ability to knit three different familial stories into an overarching theme of being a product of environment is subtly and superbly handled. Directing wise, the filmmaker appears nearly fully formed after spending the better part of two decades with Trier, an accomplished director in his own right. Here, Vogt manages to unravel the supernatural mystery with a pacing that keeps the viewer on the hook to find out who will be left standing at the film's end.

Overall, The Innocents is one of the more sinister movies to be released in the United States this year. The unsettling creepiness Vogt manages to convey compliments the equally creepy performances from the actors. With clean, often visually arresting cinematography, sensible low budget effects, and a quiet, thoughtful examination of the nature of family, the movie is a quiet gem hidden amongst the raucous, explosion filled blockbusters that rule the summer.

How would you feel, if your desires could be real, if what you wished for just came true, if what you thought, your friends knew too; how would you behave, knowing the world could be your slave, influencing what folks do, knowing they didn't have a clue.

It's all a bit Carrie lite, and it's definitely not a horror film but more an expression of the feelings of children in a world that has been unable to provide a slice in their life that aligns with their expectations. Hormonal rage and retribution, the chaos of growing up, the growing pains and misinterpretations, the immaturity and the fears of a child - don't take it too literally, unless of course you're of a certain age.

It took me a while to decide whether I liked it or not. I guess it's one of those movies that are just... fine. I don't feel like I wasted my time but it didn't leave me thinking "what a great movie" either.

De uskyldige (The Innocents) is an atmospheric, nicely shot slow burner that ultimately fails to justify its demanding 117-minute running time. The first half is quite slow, with little narrative substance and virtually no dialogue - just children being mean and creepy - so that by the end of the first hour it begins to drag. The pace eventually picks up over the last 40 minutes, which are delightfully tense and suspenseful and manage to keep you on the edge of your seat with some great spooky (and gruesome) scenes, but at this point it feels like too little too late. Nice cinematography and sound that enhance the eerie overtone of the movie; the kids' acting is excellent.

Overall, a nice suspense/supernatural flick with a nordic vibe going on (one can't help but think of von Trier's similar nordic oddity Riget). I just think it could have used a bit more plot and a shorter runtime.

Wow, damn. What a way to end this year of horror. Absolutely loved this. Great performances, good direction, creepy kids, bloody, scary, unafraid to shock. A bit too slow but I feel that was absolutely necessary for this story.

Original enough, fine acting, well shot, well cut.

I have absolute no complains.

If you're looking for a slow burn unconventional horror movie in 2021, this is it.

-1 as movie script needed more elements for its long 2 hours run .

Good cast , mostly good direction, good cinematography.

Some will think this movie is crap but lover of europeen movies will probably like it a lot, i did. Just dont expect much with horror expostion, special effects.

Very reccomended wt subtitles, not many lines of dialogues.

A very interesting movie, the children are super well directed and the performances are great. Very few dialogues which makes the drama more interesting and what is going to happen. Totally unexpected a way to see super heroes in an offbeat thiller. I particularly liked it.

I think this movie is the 'Magnum Opus' of the director, Nordic cinema and Drama/Thriller genre.

It's been a long time since I've seen a movie where every single frame serves a purpose.

The movie, which peaked with the metaphor of 'Tabula Rasa', deserves to be watched over and over again.

Yes, there is a very disturbing scene in the beginning. But it's a foundation for what is to come. Not the whole plot! Stupid pet owners who didn't watched the whole movie shouldn't do reviews. I guess these people can't watch action/thriller/horror movies either because actors die in those movies too...

If evil kids gain supernatural powers, they can harm others but they can also fight back. It's about good and evil but also how darkness can bring kids together.

What starts as innocent games, then develops into something dark and terrifying. Too late, the children realize it, but get unexpected help. The story takes place in a sleepy nameless Norwegian suburb and the contrast between the everyday life during summer break and the evil forces that are set in motion could not be greater. When children are involved, it becomes even more unsettling. The strength is the simple format, as far from Hollywood as you can possibly get. It feels more real when visual effects are few.

My only problem is that the editing is very odd and many scenes are unexplained or left in no-man's-land. But all in all, this is a slow-burner that proves it's possible to do more with less.

The Innocents: Set in an apartment complex which is situated in the midst of a forest, this liminal space provides an ideal setting for young children developing psychic powers. There is much cruelty and bullying carried out by the children which has nothing to do with ESP abilities, even the maltreatment of a profoundly autistic girl and the killing of a cat. What starts with minor displays of telekinesis and telepathy gradually moves on to mind control and murder. Some extremely disturbing scenes, not just of violence, the psychological horror here is especially effective given that three of the main protagonists are around ten years of age. They all would have benefited from attending Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters for a few semesters. Written and Directed by Eskil Vogt (co-wrote screenplay for Thelma). 8.5/10.

This movie was very unique. It gave me Brightburn vibes, but with younger characters and good vs evil elements. It is not for the faint of heart. It definitely has some disturbing scenes that may offend some viewers, but I feel the intention was to place realistic scenerios /traits that most do not see every day in young minds that are affected by bad/less fortunate upbringings.

I typically rate the most fantastic of movies a 8/10, but I chose a 7 for this one because of the slow tention build up, just to be disappointed with an anticlimatic ending. You expect something sooo much more epic and explosive. Either way, its worth a watch!