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Picture
A terminally ill boy befriends a girl who moves in nearby, only to have
​their friendship challenged by the boy's psychotic, overbearing mother.
HORROR

The Harvest (2013)

Directed by John McNaughton

Written by Stephen Lancellotti

Starring Samantha Morton, Michael Shannon, Natasha Calis, Charlie Tahan, Peter Fonda, Leslie Lyles, Meadow Williams

Connor Eyzaguirre
​July 27, 2016
7/10
My luck with Netflix's lesser known horror movie section has been mostly fruitless, with only a few gems found among the many rocks. That's why I was quite surprised when I watched The Harvest, a film that redefines the word "overbearing" and will make parents around the world feel really good about themselves because they're better than these guys. It's rare to see a film that starts out as a drama and gradually moves its way into horror, but this film accomplished it, molding Bridge to Terabithia with a bit of Friday the 13th and Psycho.

That isn't to say The Harvest doesn't need a bit of work. The performances are decent enough, but not nearly as intense as I was hoping for. Samantha Morton plays the worst mother of all time, a psychotic, single-minded horror show who abuses a sick child in a wheelchair. Yet, I still felt there was another level of crazy she never reached in the film. My biggest disappointment was with Michael Shannon, one of my favorite actors. The way he played the father was so quiet and subdued, he might as well have been nonexistent. Plus, the filmmakers completely wasted Peter Fonda in a weak role as young Maryann's grandfather, another character who barely shows up. Honestly, the best actors in the film were Natasha Calis and Charlie Tahan, who played the two kids.

A film like this is only as good as its twist, and I must say I didn't see it coming. It's a dark surprise in an already dark story that brings an uneasy feeling to your stomach at times, if only because its hard to watch a sick child take this sort of abuse from one parent while the other does nothing to stop it. The film suffers from a bit of a pacing problem, but picks up near the end until an abrupt albeit satisfying ending wraps it all up. Overall, it could've been worse.

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