Children of the Pines (2024)

• Directed by Joshua Morgan
• Written by Joshua Morgan
• Stars Kelly Tappan, Danielle J. Bowman, Vas Provatakis
• Run Time: 1 Hour, 33 Minutes
• Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcCQboR0fAI

Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone

We thought the writing was stronger than the direction, both done by Joshua Morgan, but it wasn’t a failure of a movie. The script, cast, cinematography, and soundtrack make for an interesting film. It’s a frying pan full of family struggles and baggage simmering on a stove burner of horror underneath. It’s a slow but very interesting one. 

Spoilery Synopsis

Riley and her mother, Kathy, hide from her abusive father as he rants. Credits roll as we get a voiceover about how depressing life is. 

Several years pass. Leon, an old man, tells himself affirmations in the mirror about how he’s a “new man.” Lorelei, a woman with the fakest smile and laugh ever, comes to see Kathy as Kathy brings her husband, John, for treatment. They talk and record the “interview.” Lorelei and Leon have been doing “this” for 35 years. John has stopped drinking, and is getting better, Kathy explains. The whole conversation is very awkward, and Kathy is clearly uncomfortable. Riley has gone away to school and doesn’t come home anymore because of John. Lorelei is vague, but it sounds like maybe they’re joining a cult…

We cut to an adult Riley, who returns to her hometown after many years away at college. She stops at a diner in town and Gordon the waiter, her high-school ex boyfriend, stops to talk. She’s inspired him to apply for college as well. Gordon says he works for her dad now, which upsets her tremendously. He calls her parents “Mom and Dad” now, and she gets grumpy. 

Arriving at the cabin, Riley talks to Kathy, her mother. They talk about good times and bad with her father, and they both get upset talking about it. Kathy mentions that her father, John, is off with “the kids,” but she won’t explain what that means. 

We cut to Leon at the cult, and he watches a tape of Marie and Zoe, two children who killed their parents with a hammer. This tape appeared on his assistant’s desk, but he doesn’t want that tape shown. He talks to the group about what will happen to the audience at the end of their thirty days; they’ll get a certificate!

Riley talks to her father, and she notices that her parents have certificates hanging on the wall; it mentions “Wicca,” and John explains why they went through the process. She’s still annoyed that Gordon calls John “Dad” now. He’s also evasive about “The kids.”  He gives in and introduces her to a young boy and girl, Kathy and John, and they’re both… weird. 

Gordon comes over to help John with the garden as Kathy explains the kids to Riley. Back in June, they went to “The Temple” for a month to learn about “tapping into a higher energy” and try to renew themselves. 

We get a flashback to John and Kathy’s “graduation” at the cult. In the middle of the ceremony, a beat-up girl staggers into the room wanting to know what happened to her sister. Leon puts the ceremony on hold to deal with the interruption. She’s Zoe, and she sent that tape they played by accident. Leon and Lorelei discuss “ending it now.” Kathy is concerned about what’s going to happen to Zoe, who is tied up and blindfolded, but Lorelei says don’t worry about it and gives her a couple of young children. The old couple then talk to each other about the good old days and then give a hammer to Marie, Zoe’s murderous sister, who beats her to death. 

Back in the present, Kathy explains that “The kids don’t have a human mother”; they come from inside her and John’s souls; they’re exact copies, so they can see their own flaws and get a second chance of living right. Riley asks if she’s serious. 

Kathy says they have a “gift” for Riley and they pull hairs out of her and Gordon’s heads. They take the hairs upstairs, and there is much screaming. John and Kathy come back downstairs with two more children. These are young “Riley and Gordon,” and they’re even wearing identical clothing to their adult counterparts. “Hi Mommy,” says young Riley to older Riley. They’re identical clones of Riley and Gordon. 

Riley packs her stuff to leave. John yells that if she doesn’t accept the kids, there will be repercussions. She tells Gordon that the whole thing is manipulative; he just wants a fresh start, but she says there are too many new starts. They all blame Riley for being the blind, stagnant one.  Riley runs for the door, but Gordon tries to pull her back inside. 

We cut to Lorelei and Leon, dead, as Marie has killed them with a hammer. The young children look for adult Kathy, Riley, and Gordon, but they can’t find them. Young John doesn’t go with the others, because he’s a little jerk like his older self. 

Brian’s Commentary

The film seems to be saying that people can never change; can abusive people ever change themselves and be redeemed? Apparently not. 

Much of the film feels more like a string of filmed dramatic conversations than a real movie. There are long, literary monologues explaining Riley’s feelings and memories between scenes of people explaining the current situation. It’s very… talky, as if they had a good script but poor direction. It’s an interesting story that comes off as very dull. Since it was written and directed by the same person, it’s pretty obvious where his talents do and don’t lie. 

The acting, cinematography, and music are all very well done. The story itself has an interesting concept and is very, very weird. 

Kevin’s Commentary

I liked this one overall because the story at the core was so weird and interesting. The weakest part was the direction, I thought, but the rest of the elements make up for it to combine into a movie that kept me interested throughout. I’d recommend it.