Children of the Pines Digital Review

4 star creepy and stylish psychological horror.

The Children of the Pines is a 2024 American psychological/supernatural horror/thriller written and directed by Joshua Morgan. This is his feature directorial debut, completed at just age eighteen, very impressive indeed.

It is available on Digital Download Worldwide from 18th October 2024, courtesy of Freestyle Digital Media.

“Sadness will ground you in ways that happiness could only dream of doing. That’s what a relative told me, on my Grandmother’s funeral.”

Riley (Kelly Tappan – Snuff Queen) is a young woman who has moved away to University, largely to escape from her troubled relationship with her parents. Her father John (Richard Cohn-Lee – The Canfather) is a domineering drunk and her mother Kathy (Danielle J. Bowman – A Look in the Rear View) was never very good at protecting either of them.

She has reluctantly agreed to return home for a visit, but things seem strange right from the start. At the diner in town, she bumps into Gordon (Vas Provatakis – V/H/S/Beyond, Baby, Don’t Cry), her ex boyfriend, who tells her that he has been working at her father’s firm as well as working in their garden. This all seems a bit creepy.

When she gets home, Kathy is pleased to see her but says that John has gone shopping with “the kids”. When questioned about the kids, she refuses to answer, simply brushing it aside. When John returns, he seems his old obnoxious self, until Riley notices two certificates on the wall, stating that her parents are now members of a Wiccan church. This is run by Lorelei (Donna Rae Allen – Inheritance) and her husband Leon (David Raizor – Dolphin Island), who claim to help reconcile struggling couples. What are they really up to and what have her parents got themselves involved in?

“You are not the man you were yesterday. You are a new man. You are a new, strong individual. Strong. Powerful. Guide those who come to you with love and acceptance.”

Children of the Pines is an excellent watch. It’s very well written and the characters have been thoroughly fleshed out, you feel that you know them almost straight away. The acting gets off to an slightly awkward start, but once things get going it’s pretty good, especially the voice overs from Kelly Tappan.

The family dynamic is also portrayed particularly well here, the tension is almost palpable. It’s a slow burning psychological ride which arrives at a truly surprising and very weird destination, with a twist I most certainly did not see coming.

This marks out Joshua Morgan as one to keep an eye on for the future and it’s well worth giving this interesting feature debut a watch.

“Christmas is less than a month away, but I can still feel some of that warm summer air clinging to my skin. And for the first time, it’s p***ing me off.”