Fan review: “Child Eater” is a more than admirable attempt to revive a specific kind of subgenre, namely movies that are probably best described as “boogeyman horror.” Movies that bring to life creepy monsters that were initially invented to petrify little kids, but then turn out to be terrifyingly real for kids and adults! In this context, I spontaneously think of semi-classics like “Jeepers Creepers,” “The Gate,” “Troll,” “Monster in the Closet,” or “The Boogens,” but “Child Eater” is actually much darker and more sinister than those.

The tone, atmosphere and evil nature of the boogeyman are more reminiscent of “Candyman” or the original “Nightmare on Elm Street.” I’m not saying the movie overall is as good as those classics, though, just that the titular monstrosity is truly nightmarish and its backstory is ultimately morbid. Writer-director Erlingur Thoroddsen (I think we better check him out) makes it clear from the start that the story he wants to tell is very serious. During the atmospheric opening sequences, the camera follows a little blonde girl wandering alone through the woods. Only when a person approaches her to offer help does it turn around and we learn that the poor girl is holding her own eyeball in her hand.

I don’t know about you, but this is definitely one of the creepiest yet most eye-catching openings I’ve seen in a long time. 25 years later, the same area is still under the spell of notorious child killer Robert Bowery. He used to be the owner of a petting zoo, but a terrible disease caused him to slowly go blind… and completely insane. Bowery convinced himself that he wouldn’t go blind as long as he was murdering little children and EATING their eyes. But that was a long time ago. Bowery was murdered, his story became an urban legend, and only occasionally are there reports of a mysterious figure dwelling in the woods.

When 7-year-old Lucas comes to warn his babysitter Helen that there’s a monster in her closet, she sends him away because she has more serious problems on her mind. But then Lucas disappears into the night. As Helen goes deeper and deeper into the woods to search for him, she begins to realize that the monstrous killer has returned. I really, really enjoyed “Child Eater.” It’s definitely not the most original horror story, but it benefits greatly from the bleak atmosphere, the grim settings, and the menacing titular monster. Bowery is a tall, creepy guy with oversized dark glasses, huge ears, rotting teeth and a petrifying smile on his face. He actually looks a lot like Michael Berryman… Thoroddson doesn’t waste any energy on unnecessary humor and there’s plenty of room for blood and gore alongside the creepy suspense. The performances are quite adequate and although there are some minor flaws, “Child Eater” is an impressive feature debut.