THE PRODIGY / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: NICHOLAS MCCARTHY / SCREENPLAY: JEFF BUHLER / STARRING: TAYLOR SCHILLING, JACKSON ROBERT SCOTT, PETER MOONEY, COLM FEORE / RELEASE DATE: 5TH JULY (VOD), 15TH JULY (DVD)
“There’s something wrong with Miles” – After reaching his Eighth birthday, a prodigy named Miles Blume begins to exude strange behaviour that quickly becomes violent and forces his parents into a moral dilemma on what to do with him.
Directed by Nicholas McCarthy (The Pact), The Prodigy is another addition to the “Evil Kid” subgenre of Horror that exhibits moments of promise but ultimately lacks the killer originality or unpredictability that could have made it great. The story centres around Miles (Jackson Robert Scott, IT) and his mother Sarah (Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black) and deals with the subject of reincarnation – which is a nice change from the usual possession by a demon storyline that is ripe within modern horror.
The main issue with the film is that its too predictable and at times extremely lazy. Within the opening act, the “jump-scares” come at the audience thick and fast which waters down their impact rather than heightening them. The only true moment where a jump-scare would have worked tremendously well was unfortunately spoilt in the film’s trailer, as is the case these days.
However, on the other hand, the ruling factor that saves the film from being a complete misfire are the central performances. Scott as Miles was a brilliant piece of casting – after his compelling role as Georgie in the remake of IT in 2017, he once again proves that he has ability beyond his years. One moment you are buying him as being a sweet, innocent child before quickly hitting you with a cold glare and creepy smile which sends a shiver down your spine. Couple that with Schilling’s performance as Sarah – her execution truly enhancing the otherwise lacklustre script into a compelling family drama at the heart of a loud “crashy-bashy” affair.
McCarthy’s keen eye for atmosphere building does shine through at moments including some brilliant use of natural light to mask characters in an unsettling glow – it just sadly fails to keep any momentum going for extended periods of time.
The Prodigy contains some solid ideas for a new spin on the “possession” sub-genre but lacks any unnerving longevity with a by-the-numbers plot. The films core narrative is saved by two stellar performances by Scott and Schilling whose chemistry is undeniable and allows the audience to easily buy into their relationship.
