THE PRODIGY: Prodigious Ambition, Lackluster Results

For you parents at home: you might want to check with your doctor if your son is showing signs of bionic intelligence, a knack for the Hungarian language, Forest Whitaker-like eyes, the ability to hospitalize fellow students with a wrench, and a love for paprika. If this describes your kid, he very well could be “manifesting signs from a former life” – bad news. For the select few who can relate, Nicholas McCarthy’s latest feature will prove to be a cautionary tale. For the rest of us, it proves to be another colorless entity endeavor.

For Tolstoy it might play like scripture. The Blume family is unhappy in their own way. By way of their eight year old Miles, whose pale, cold features tell a tale of affliction and life long suffering. He is played with soul by Jackson Robert Scott, though his character seems to be lacking in that department.

Born at the same time as a serial killer is gunned down, a chilling juxtaposition takes place, where bullet holes mirror the spots of blood on baby Miles’ stomach. From this alone, you might figure the “twist” out before the title card even appears on screen. Following the birth, Miles is now 8, a year when independence and problem solving should thrive in a child’s life. Though the same cannot be said for Miles. He is wise beyond his years, though hardly independent. A fitting product of bilocation in a film that is hellbent on being all over the place.

That being said, McCarthy has devised an efficacious family drama – a facet far more absorbing than the lackluster horror. Mom (Taylor Schilling) shows steadfast love for her son, as dad (Peter Mooney) offers resolute protection. But the kid is “sick”, and we’re sick of him. At every turn creepiness ensues. His self destructive streak starts as his babysitter steps on a shard of glass, then he slaughters his adorable dog, and before you know it, his unblinking eyes begin to telegraph his grand intentions. Predictable as they are.

A Reincarnation of Themes

The irony is that for a film centering the possibilities of reincarnation, it does a lot of borrowing (or recreating?) from past genre films. Following in the footsteps of allegories on oppressed motherhood, many will draw similarities to Hereditary and The Babadook. Others might find that it has more in common with possessed kid movies like The Omen or The Children of the Corn. Whatever the case may be, I found it to be poorly paced, vaguely realized, terrifyingly unscary, and by turn, occasionally captivating.

If you looked past the gaping plot holes and equally detestable jump-scares, there is a scare or two to be had. On the one hand it casts a mesmerizing spell. The panning camera seems to be in rhythm with Joseph Bishara’s eerie score, catching the reflections and shadows that split Miles, echoing the dueling personalities in his mind. On the other hand (literally), there is the concept. A deceased killer trapped in a child’d body. It’s as bonkers as it sounds. And it makes for an undeniably dumb first two acts – however, things thankfully come to life in its no-bars-held finale.

“Come to life” might not be the right term for a climax that says “to hell with the minimalist approach”, and delves into an uncontrolled chaos of murder and misery. Having got the majority of the boring backstory out the way, don’t confuse that with character development, this family is woefully underwritten, things escalate to lofty extremes. After a meeting with the therapist (Colm Feore), mom and dad discover Miles’ real identity. What should they do? What can they do? Apparently nothing. We all know the danger that can come from an unsupervised child, and we all know Miles is no ordinary youngster. So when he breaks free from his parents all hell breaks loose.

The Prodigy: Conclusion

This is entertaining and all, but the movie is neither scary nor intriguing enough to transcend its cliches and redundancy. The fact that it gave away all its secrets within the first five minutes didn’t help either. Overlong at an hour and a half, it plays like a mystery that has already been solved. So what’s the point? Even more mysterious is why McCarthy and cohorts didn’t spend more time on the family aspects.

This is a movie about the boundless connection between parent and child, and the extremes a mom would go to protect that relationship. Still, by the end it seems to be talking in a different language. Incompetence or Hungarian? Take your pick. They’re both right answers.

Have you seen The Prodigy? What were your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!

The Prodigy released on February 8, 2019 thanks to Orion Pictures.