I love a good indie horror flick but SON let me down on so many levels. It comes to Shudder soon, and you can check it out for yourself.
I am normally a big fan of indie horror movies so I was really excited to check out SON. Just from the description it sounded great, but within thirty minutes I wanted to bail on it. However, I stuck through it all and although there are some parts that were great, this one fell flat for me overall.
What Works With SON
SON actually has great potential. The concept of a woman who escapes a cult while pregnant and births a demon baby who becomes a cannibal at the age of 8 totally could work in the indie horror scene. Unfortunately it wasn’t executed well enough for me to enjoy it. As a mom, I get the idea of a mom wanting to do anything to protect her child, even if that child eats other humans.
I love me some gore and blood, and there is a decent amount of that in SON, so I was happy with that. The music and sounds during intense scenes worked for SON as well. And the clicks that her son makes when he is moving around his jaw were super creepy.
What Doesn’t Work With SON
I was really disappointed by this movie because from the concept it seemed like it would be really good. However the story drags, is disjointed, and is ridiculously predictable. What are supposed to be twists, I guessed very early on. The overall story really just leaves a lot to be desired and like I said, I wanted to bow out within the first half, and sticking with it did not pay off.
Child actors usually leave a bit to be desired and that is the case with the kid in this one too. He isn’t bad, per se, but he just doesn’t do the best job at being scary like he should. Emile Hirsh does a decent enough job as Paul, the cop who tries to help Laura and her son.
When it comes to horror movies, I am a big fan of jump scares, and there weren’t any in SON. While it was clear there were some moments that were supposed to be jumpy because of the sounds and the fast movements, they just didn’t succeed. If the ending would have been a less predictable, I think this movie would have really delivered. So if you watch it and don’t figure it out ahead of time, it will land a lot better.
About SON
After a mysterious group of individuals breaks into Laura’s home and attempts to steal her eight-year-old son, David, the two of them flee town in search of safety. But soon after the failed kidnapping, David becomes extremely ill, suffering from increasingly sporadic psychosis and convulsions. Following her maternal instincts to save him, Laura commits unspeakable acts to keep him alive but soon, she must decide how far she is willing to go to save her son.
SON comes to theaters and on digital and on demand on March 5, 2021.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.