Children of the Corn (1984)

As is the case with most of the film adaptations of his work, having the words “based on the story by Stephen King” isn’t always a guarantee of a quality product. 1984’s Children of the Corn, which is based on a short story from his Night Shift anthology, is not one of the better movies attributed to the prolific author. I have to confess I haven’t read the original story. I’ve heard it’s much better than the movie. And, frankly, as bad as the movie is, that comes as little surprise.

Children of the Corn takes place in Gatlin, Nebraska. As the film opens, the children of the town murder all of the adults at the behest of Issac (John Franklin.) Issac preaches the word of “he who walks behind the rows” (of corn) and, for some reason, all of the kids in the town listen to him. That is, except for Job (Robby Kiger) and Sarah (Anne Marie McEvoy.) They think Issac and his right-hand enforcer Malachi (Courtney Gains) are weird. Job and Sarah somehow escape the wrath of Issac for disobeying them and are allowed to live. (Because, otherwise, the script would have a hard time explaining to the audience how Issac came to power.)

Three years later, Burt (Peter Horton) and Vicky (Linda Hamilton) are an adult couple driving across the country to Burt’s new job as a doctor. Their car hits a child crossing the road. Burt attempts to help the dying kid but it’s too late. Burt notices, though, that the child’s throat had been slashed before he was hit by the car. Feeling that it’s his duty to report a murder, Burt looks to find the nearest town. However, no matter where the couple turn, they end up in Gatlin. Of course, Issac and his followers are responsible for the child’s death. But now Burt and Vicky will be their next targets simply because they’re adults.

I’m aware that Children of the Corn is viewed by some as a classic horror film from the 1980s. I’m sure that most people who feel that way saw the movie as kids in the 80s. (Or as kids whenever they watched it.) And I can see it being frightening from a child’s point of view. However, seeing it as an adult just made me ask too many questions. I couldn’t help but wonder how no one ever noticed that entire town’s adult population just disappeared. The state didn’t want to know where all of their tax revenue had gone? No utility company wanted to know why the bills weren’t being paid? Nothing caught on fire and burned out of control due to the lack of a functioning fire department?

We’re asked to believe that these children, most of whom don’t seem particularly bright, managed to survive on their own without help from any adult? (Aside from the mechanic who lives on the outskirts of town and manages to divert any outsiders.) Most of them have freshly cut hair and their clothes and shoes all fit. Where did they get money to buy them? Are we to believe they made them on their own? And, putting all that aside as just nitpicking, I’ll ask the one question that bothered me the most: Who planted all of the corn? It’s in neat rows and the fields are in great shape. These kids certainly don’t appear to be sharpening their farming skills as often as the knives and reapers they wield as weapons.

So, even suspending all disbelief and playing along with the scenario, I didn’t find these kids all that scary or threatening. Issac is bonafide nightmare fuel thanks to John Franklin’s creepy performance. But his character is just the conduit for the never-fully-explained supernatural force that threatens the children into submission. It’s not until the final act of the film when it’s made apparent that this isn’t just a case of a crazy kid preacher brainwashing a town’s children. And, by then, it’s far too late for the film to redeem itself.