Children of Sin

“Children of Sin” in a fun frolic oozing with shlocky goodness that feels like an 80s cult classic rediscovered in 2022.

“Children of Sin” is a schlocky throwback horror flick that is funny, ridiculous, and entertaining. Writer/Director Christopher Wesley Moore crafts a great low-budget screamer that satisfies on almost every level.

Teen siblings Emma (Meredith Mohler) and Jackson (Lewis Hines) find themselves at odds with their soon-to-be stepfather Robbie (Jeff Buchwald), an over-the-top religious fanatic who expects the family to fall in line with his ideals. The problem? Emma is pregnant and Jackson is gay. Emma is resistant to Robbie’s ideas and discipline, but Jackson is looking for a way to appease Robbie and “just wants to get better.” But when Robbie learns that Emma is preggers and walks in on Jackson looking at adult male websites, he sets his plan into motion to atone for their sins.

Emma has been trying to convince her mom Tammy (Keni Bounds) to leave Robbie and live a life with just herself and her two kids. After Tammy witnesses Robbie get a little too hands-on with his discipline with Emma, she sneaks the kids out in the middle of the night, and they hit the road.

Unfortunately, the road leads straight to Abraham House.

Abraham House is a place where young people who have strayed away from the good path are sent to learn the errors of their ways from Mary Ester (Jo-Ann Robinson), the head of Abraham House. Their mother tells them she’ll return in three days, but once they are inside, it seems like their checkout isn’t coming anytime soon.

From other kids whispering into doors to some special Kool-Aid to Mary Ester and her right-hand man Hank (Christopher Wesley Moore) struggling with their own sins of the flesh, Abraham House is anything but an ideal location to be. Mary Ester warns them about the three-strikes policy and simply smiles when Emma asks what happens if you get three strikes. That’s never a good sign.

As their fellow members of Abraham House keep striking out and disappearing, we learn that Mary Ester’s smile has been one of grim satisfaction of a job well done. Emma and Jackson must now race to find a way out of Abraham Houses and get back to their mother in hopes of saving her. But what if the person their mother Tammy has been trying to save has been herself all along?

“Children of Sin” was a fun watch and carries a heavy 80s horror flick vibe to it. It has some sick humor, a great jump scare or two and a few scenes that will leave your skin crawling. Add a fashion show that you’ll never forget and a dinner scene that’s one of my favorite scenes of the movie and what you get is a dark and disturbing watch.

Writer/Director Moore embraces the schlock that low-budget flick demands and doesn’t hold back. The movie starts a little slow but unleashes about midway through, and it’s full-on fun from there on out. He does a great job of delaying scares that build the tension perfectly. Moore also takes a small cast and gives us a maximum body count, which was refreshing.

Mohler and Hines are believable as siblings and do a solid job with their characters. All the actors are wonderfully wacky in their own way, but Robinson as Mary Ester is simply outstanding. I couldn’t get enough of her. The performance is over the top, funny, sinister, and creepy.

“Children of Sin” in a fun frolic oozing with shlocky goodness that feels like an 80s cult classic rediscovered in 2022.