By Melissa Antoinette Garza
This was a last minute pick to go see. I was eating at an Irish pub with my sister and mom when the brilliant idea of going to see a movie struck. HAPPY DEATH DAY 2 U (2019) doesn’t come out until next week, but I jumped at the chance to go see THE PRODIGY (2019). I didn’t know too much about it, but THE OMEN (1976) series is one of my favorites and I love films of that ilk.
The film opens with a scene that is harder than any other up until the last. A woman is being held captive by Edward Scarka (Paul Fauteux) a Hungarian murderer. I’m Hungarian – so HUNGARIAN PRIDE! WOOT!
He cuts the hands off beautiful women he holds hostage so he’s not the best guy. One of the gals escapes after he severed her limb at the wrist. She’s not happy that he did that. She leads the cops back to his place and they shoot him dead! That ends up being a mistake because this dude can come back.
At the very same time a baby is being born. You see where this is going! I know you cats are smart.
Sarah (Taylor Schilling) and John (Peter Mooney) had tried for a baby for awhile but never had any luck until Miles (Jackson Robert Scott). At first, Miles is just a super smart baby. He’s a bit socially awkward and his moods shift a lot, but he isn’t violent, yet.
When he turns 8 years old some things change. He gets pissed and that’s not even REALLY his fault! First a babysitter cuts her foot horribly on a glass that Miles left behind. Did he do it on purpose? Probably – but there’s no proof so leave the kid alone! Plus, she did make him turn off his TV after only 2 episodes of his favorite show. Bitch, please. When I watch my nephew and niece, they watch the TV until they zone.
Then, Miles had a crush on Hailey (Ashley Black). She’s this girl in science class and some other kid was her lab partner. Miles asked the other boy to step off, but he didn’t. What was Miles to do – not beat the shit out of him with a lead pipe? That’s not the way he rolls. He got that tool and fucked a bitch up. Fine, maybe it was a little excessive. Still, I can’t lie. I like Miles. I’d adopt him. I mean who among us is perfect?
Sarah and John have no clue what’s going on. They start flipping out on each other as doctors begin to inquire if abuse is going on in the home. Soon they learn what the audience already knows. Edward Scarka is living in Miles body. That said, Miles is also there so in that regard this is more like THE EXORCIST (1973) meets THE BAD SEED (1956) rather than a straight evil kid style flick. This does complicate things for me a bit because typically I just root for the little bastards raising havoc, but now a nice kid is thrown in the mix. Miles deep down is a good child, but is being controlled by Edward. The only way I could make peace with that is to root for whomever was controlling Miles at the moment. If Edward was in charge – GO EDWARD, slice and dice, motherfucker. If little Miles was there, I wanted him to be well. I’m a complicated fem. Complicated means psycho, right?
Sarah desperate to get Miles help runs to Arthur (Colm Feore) a hippie who believes in reincarnation. He thinks he’s a big shot, but he isn’t. He’s a douche and Miles/Edward knows the score. That said, Arthur is able to give Sarah enough information where she concocts an insane plan to save her son. It’s bat-shit crazy, but GO MOM!
Will it work? I can’t tell you that. You’d hate me if I did.
The final scene though not shocking is done fabulously well and fits perfectly.
I actually suggest this flick more than I intended to. It’s not perfect. If you are someone who wants definitive answers from your film, this isn’t for you. So much is left open to ponder and wonder about but that is part of the fun and it leaves it open for a sequel and some additional lore to explain some of the unanswered questions. This isn’t THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) level of open-interpretation, but there are several avenues they could go.
The pace is quick and awesome, the acting is great and the characters have depth. Though there aren’t that many scares the ones that are done are effective. The jump scares made my 69 year old mother flinch, but otherwise didn’t do much there. I’ve been doing this shit for 30+ years – it takes one helluva jump scare to get me.
I wish there had been a little more nuts-and-bolts to the story, but it’s not an empty film either. It gets the pulse going and keeps the attention. I like it. You should go see it.
Lastly, major fucking kudos to Jackson Robert Scott. I typically do not like kid actors. I’m an evil bastard I know, but sometimes the shit is so stilted. Scott brings it from the first scene he’s in. He’s diabolical when he wants to be and sympathetic when it calls for it. In that regard it reminded me of Jonathan Scott-Taylor in DAMIEN: OMEN II (1978). Both hit me the same way. I root for them even though I shouldn’t and when they feel the need to kill, my reaction is “you do you, kid.” I think that’s healthy.
One other thing, I deserve a goddamn medal for not beating the living shit out of this wench and her two teen daughters who thought they were MST3K without the talent. Thankfully they left when I was still just an 8 on the redhead anger scale.
Scared Stiff Rating: 7/10
