Like killer clowns and antique dolls, horror fans can’t seem to get enough of creepy kids. Just last week, the Children of the Corn franchise spit out yet another sequel onto Blu-ray. Not to be outdone, Blumhouse Productions released Akiva Goldsman’s Stephanie on Netflix this week. Boasting a strong cast and interesting premise, Stephanie has generated buzz in horror circles.

Synopsis

Stephanie, a young girl, livies alone in her family home. Newspaper clippings and snippets of television news coverage hint at a larger global disaster. Stephanie’s parents are either dead or abandoned her. A stuffed toy named Franklin is her only companion. Outside the house, lurking in the orchard, is an unseen presence that constantly watches. Alone and vulnerable, Stephanie is in constant danger.

Stephanie Is An Effective Mystery with Good, Low-Key Scares

…Stephanie works a bit like a puzzle that simultaneously challenges and engages.

To say much more about Stephanie’s plot would be a disservice. Much of the joy in watching Stephanie is the intrigue that slowly builds as the director Akiva Goldsman drops little hints here and there. It was refreshing to watch a horror film that had me guessing for its first 40 or 45 minutes as one question was quickly replaced by a new one. In this sense, Stephanie works a bit like a puzzle that simultaneously challenges and engages.

The film marks Goldsman’s feature-length directorial debut, and it’s an impressive introduction. Stephanie is a rare exercise in suspense and tension that puts a viewer on the edge of their seat. Simple moments and tasks are given a sinister tone. Watching the young Stephanie trying to make herself a smoothie with a blender was particularly grueling. Stephanie’s pacing is also quite good. Quieter moments are infused with mystery. Lights flicker, lightning flashes, and figures momentarily appear in the background. While they may be familiar horror film tropes, Goldsman employs them effectively and doesn’t allow them to overpower atmosphere and mood.

Stellar Acting Performances

While Stephanie hints at global disaster, it’s a small-scale movie anchored by a small but strong cast. Child actor Shree Crooks, who plays the title character, carries the first third of the movie. Her performance is simply amazing, and not just for a child actor. She displays a full range of emotions that keeps the viewer engaged for the movie’s relatively quiet first 30 minutes or so. In one amusing scene, she displays naive, childlike enthusiasm when she lets a curse word slip out, then realizing she’s alone, yells out several ‘bad’ words aloud. Moments later, Crooks conveys the fear and loneliness a child should feel alone in the dark.

Grillo is tasked with playing a father desperate to protect his daughter while knowing deep down he may fail.

Frank Grillo (The Purge: Election Day) and Anna Torv (Fringe), as Stephanie’s parents, are both excellent as well. Grillo is tasked with playing a father desperate to protect his daughter while knowing deep down he may fail. Whether it’s through his dialogue delivery or pained facial expressions, Grillo is utterly convincing. As the mother, Torv equally impresses with a more understated performance. Initially cold and focused, Torv slowly allows a mother’s pain and grief to seep out as the film unfolds.

A Little Cribbing in the Story

Where Stephanie falters a little is in the storyline twist that emerges in the film’s second half. Twilight Zone fans may recognize the swerve before it’s finally delivered as it cribs a little on a classic episode. The screenplay, written by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, certainly adapts the premise and injects enough fresh ideas to allow Stephanie to avoid feeling like a rehash. In addition, both the screenplay and Goldsman’s direction keep the first half of Stephanie taunt and immersive for audiences, thus allowing the film to avoid feeling like an extended Black Mirror episode.

Like other horror films, Stephanie also suffers a little from extending its ending. It does feel like Goldsman tacked on a ‘second’ and wholly unnecessary ending. Goldsman had the perfect conclusion – it was emotionally resonant and heartbreaking. This ‘first’ ending also works better with the movie’s smaller scale human drama. But Goldsman gives in to the need for a flashier conclusion and while this extended ‘second’ ending delivers some fun visuals and an equally bleak vision, it can’t help but undermine what proceeded it.

Another Hidden Gem from Blumhouse Productions

Despite a few complaints, Stephanie definitely qualifies as another hidden gem from Blumhouse Productions. It’s a much better movie than Truth or Dare, which had a wide theatrical release earlier this spring. From the stellar performances to the heartbreaking mystery at its core, Stephanie is a movie that delivers beyond its scares.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: B+