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[tab title="Movie Review"]

The Prodigy (2019)

I am not a fan of kids crawling into beds for no good reason.  Sure the snuggles are great . . . but, well, maybe my own son creeped me out by too many times just standing in the bedroom waiting for me to wake up.  It puts me on edge, man.  Give me a creepy kid film and, damn it, I just can’t handle such things.  When one mother, who knows damn well better, allows her creepy kid to snuggle up next to her, well this proves to be one of The Prodigy’s better scenes. 

The silence.  The shadows.  The mood.  It’s all here and, thanks to a filmmaker who knows just what he is doing, The Prodigy creates a spellbinding experience. 

"this supernatural shocker actually pulls off some pretty interesting things regarding reincarnation"


 

Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Taylor Schilling plays a mother who discovers that her advanced son, displaying some really odd and slightly psychopathic behavior, might actually be possessed in director Nicholas McCarthy’s new horror film, The Prodigy.  And you know what, in spite of all the dismissals from critics, this supernatural shocker actually pulls off some pretty interesting things regarding reincarnation.

Because the (one brown and the other) blue-eyed Miles (Jackson Robert Scott) was born 15-minutes after the death of a serial killer named Scarka (Paul Fauteux) and, yeah, that’s the dark direction this flick dares go as one child, now with bouts of mumbling Hungarian in his sleep, is going completely out of his skull with bloodlust. {googleads}

Humble beginnings, right?  It’s not like the killer’s spirit is in hurry to get the boy grown.  Miles is just different.  But, when his father (Peter Mooney) goes on a hunt for the family’s missing dog, the signs of this boy’s differences become explicit and hard to deny.  And then he takes a plumber’s wrench to a fellow classmate.  Things are going downhill quickly for this boy.

His parents, unfortunately, are slow to act or take the professionals (Colm Feore as Arthur Jacobson and Paula Boudreau as Elaine Strasser) advice because what they are suggesting just can’t be happening to their little boy.  Past life regression?  Hell, even the strangest of theories sound perfectly plausible. The Prodigy (2019)

Working horror-type tension together with a couple of legit jump scares, The Prodigy works to keep us involved in a story we already know so well but then, thanks to an ending that twists and ties up in knots (with its darkness), it sticks the landing.  Fans of horror flicks will be pleasantly surprised by this flick, especially if they go in expecting little. 

The film gives us plenty of moments to be creeped out by.  From its The Bad Seed shenanigans to its The Omen-like mystery, The Prodigy is a film that wears its influences on its sleeve.  Proudly.  You might even be able to spot them; however, none of that detracts from the work here.  This might be predictable but it is still startling stuff and it is handled with honor and professionalism that won’t make you cringe.

The Good Son returns!

3/5 beers

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

The Prodigy (2019)

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Available on Blu-ray
- May 7, 2019
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles
: English: SDH, Spanish, French
Audio:
English: DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, Spanish/French Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD); Google Play digital copy; Vudu digital copy; Digital copy; DVD copy
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment provides The Prodigy, with a strong cinematic 2.40:1 aspect ratio, with a great 1080p release. The warm colors are well saturated and the black levels are consistently strong. Important in a film as dark as this one.  The details are striking and rich, with a crispness that is as resilient as its depth. Close-ups are very striking. Hues are solid and, when there is a change in location, the shift in colors is smart and vibrant. Through it all, the changing hues are visual treats. The film's English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track is dynamic and engaging, firing on all cylinders.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • There is a good commentary from Director Nicholas McCarthy that is well worth your time.

Special Features:

Fans get a DVD and digital copy of the movie, plus three special features, a still gallery, and the film’s trailer.

  • Promotional Videos
  • Still Gallery
  • Trailer

Blu-ray Rating:

  Movie 4/5 stars
  Video  4/5 stars
  Audio 4/5 stars
  Extras 2/5 stars

Overall Blu-ray Experience

4/5 stars

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[tab title="Film Details"]

The Prodigy (2019)

MPAA Rating: R for violence, disturbing and bloody images, a sexual reference and brief graphic nudity.
Runtime:
92 mins
Director
: Nicholas McCarthy
Writer:
Jeff Buhler
Cast:
Jackson Robert Scott, Taylor Schilling, Peter Mooney
Genre
: Horror
Tagline:
What's Wrong With Miles?
Memorable Movie Quote: "I'm no longer speaking to miles. I'm speaking to the person who has taken residence inside his body."
Theatrical Distributor:
United Artists Releasing
Official Site: https://whatswrongwithmiles.com/
Release Date:
February 8, 2019
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
May 7, 2019
Synopsis: In her much-anticipated foray into the horror-thriller genre, Orange is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling stars in THE PRODIGY as a mother named Sarah whose young son Miles’ disturbing behavior signals that an evil, possibly supernatural force has overtaken him. Fearing for her family’s safety, Sarah must choose between her maternal instinct to love and protect Miles and a desperate need to investigate what – or who – is causing his dark turn. She is forced to look for answers in the past, taking the audience on a wild ride; one where the line between perception and reality becomes frighteningly blurry.

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[tab title="Art"]

The Prodigy (2019)

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Special Features: