Remaking a classic horror movie, even when it's little-known among the general populace, is always a dicey proposition, simply because people who love the original really, really love the original, and woe betide the filmmaker who doesn't make good choices in a new version.
Directed by the single-named Makinov ,Come Out and Play is based on Who Can Kill a Child? (1976); as in the original, a married couple (Vinessa Shaw and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) arrive at a lovely vacation spot, hoping to enjoy a peaceful respite before the lady gives birth, only to discover that their imagined paradise is filled with murderous children.
When it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, our own Kurt Halfyard was not impressed:
When you remake these sorts of films, there perhaps should be more consideration given to "Why now?" and "How have times changed?" in order to provide a remake with some relevance. Note the classic examples of great remakes, along the lines of The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Fly. A rather lazy shot by shot re-filming, even if the original is not that well known, surely is the easiest route. ... In the end, that is what Come Out And Play is both in the context of the characters in the film, as well as the filmmaking outside: a series of poor choices.
Ouch.
Still, if your curiosity has been piqued and/or you haven't seen the original, Come Out and Play is now available via various VOD platforms, and will open in select theatres on March 22. A new trailer has been prepared as well, which you can watch below.