'The Innocents' is a supernatural thriller that follows a group of children as they reveal their mysterious powers to each other over he course of summer break. The film starts by showing two sisters, Ida and Anna as they relocate with their parents to a new home, - an apartment in a block of flats. Ida goes to the playground looking for other children to play with and comes across Ben. The two go off to the nearby woods where Ben shows Ida that he is able to telekinetically manipulate a small falling object. Later on, another girl, Aisha is shown playing by herself, until she forms a telepathic connection with Anna, as the two appear to be drawn to each other.
The following day, Ida is asked to take Anna with her to play outside, but Ida is reluctant as she is embarrassed of her sister and her condition. Unwilling to play with Anna, Ida is greeted by Ben and the two run off to play in the woods. In the meantime Aisha and Anna find each other and play together. As Ida finds the two, she realises that Anna is communicating with Aisha, - something she had not been able to do before due to her autism. The children spend more time together and their mysterious powers develop, with Aisha, Anna and Ben sharing a strong telepathic link, being able to sense each other as they use their powers. On one occasion, whilst playing with Ida, Ben captures a cat and throws it down a stairwell and then kills it, much to Ida's shock. Later, Ben is shown developing a power through which he can manipulate others, and proceeds to use a man to exact revenge on a young boy who had been rude to him.
Sensing Ben is using his powers for sinister goals, Aisha tells Anna and Ida that they must stop him. That night, unable to meet up with Anna and Ida, Aisha is stabbed by her mother as Ben manipulates her to do so. Later, Ida realises she must stop Ben, and tries to push him off an overpass, but Ben survives and tries to get Ida through manipulation. Ida escapes but is hit by oncoming traffic. Now in a cast, Ida and Anna are home alone one afternoon. Sensing Ben nearby, Anna goes off to face him. During their stand-off, the two exchange powerful blows, and after Anna is joined by Ida, Anna manages to strike the final blow and take out Ben. On returning home, Anna is shown returning to her previous state, seemingly receding to how things were before meeting Aisha and Ben in terms of her ability to respond to those near her and engaging in repetitive actions. Anna is shown pausing as she uses her magnetic drawing board, suggesting that she is picking up on the presence of the mystical powers still out there as the film closes.
'The Innocents' is a suspenseful thriller that presents a group of young children as they discover supernatural powers and a bond that joins them as they grow stronger. Anna, Aisha and Ben share in the mystical powers and telepathy, whilst Ida does not have that link. Even though she does not have mystical powers like the others, Ida gets to know Ben and have fun with him as she gets acquainted with her new surroundings.
Through following the children and their exploits, the film provides insight into their individual characteristics and desires. For Ida it is to make friends, to form a connection with someone other than her sister, as she feels tied down to and ashamed of Anna. By befriending Ben, Ida finds what she is looking for but soon discovers that he has sinister tendencies. Eventually Ida learns to appreciate Anna and realises that Ben has to be stopped before he gets to them. After the initial friendly relationship, we learn that Ben harbours sinister thoughts which are later expressed through his violent actions. We are given further insight into his home life, showing a somewhat uncaring and distant mother, who he later takes his frustrations out on. Filling out the group are Aisha and Anna, with the two girls seemingly sharing the strongest bond. Aisha is shown as a caring and intuitive person, as she is drawn to and helps Anna develop her abilities, both supernatural and in terms of everyday communication. Anna, being the least expressive holds an air of mystery about herself, as we learn little of her besides the reactions others have towards her. Most prominently we know that she is also looking to establish a connection with someone and hides an enormous amount of power within, as through glimpses of Ben's reaction towards her, he expresses fear and concern.
The stylistic choices for the feature have been used very effectively, as the tone of the story shifts immediately once the viewers are exposed to the visual setting that the characters find themselves in as Ben is manipulating them. With the use of low lighting and a grimy tone, the movie veers into horror territory, leaving a lasting impact, especially after Aisha is depicted as almost a demonic entity through her mothers eyes moments before she is killed. Through its unapologetic dip into horror territory, the film adds a layer of dread to the story as it exposes the viewing audience to the terror that each of Ben's victims experience at they are being manipulated by him.
The film is a coming of age story with a unique twist, showcasing both the emotional development of the children as well as providing for truly engaging action sequences, mounting in tension up until the final showdown. The cast of children; - Rakel Lenora Fløttum as Ida, Alva Brynsmo Ramstad as Anna, Sam Ashraf as Ben and Mina Yasmin Bremseth Asheim as Aisha; all deliver excellent performances with Fløttum at the forefront as she goes on an emotional journey, discovering herself and learning to appreciate what she already has in terms of the relationship with her sister. Ashraf manages to portray a complicated individual who is learning of his powers, yet wants to delve deeper into his darker side and use his powers to exact revenge on those who have crossed him. Asheim portrays the more empathetic individual of the group, showcasing that the character is most in tune with feeling what the others are going through and being able to sense Ben's intentions for the future. The entire cast develop a great dynamic, portraying a well rounded image of a group of friends, not without its ups and downs.
Score: 3/4
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