The Children

The Children is a 2008 British horror thriller film set around the New Year holiday directed by Tom Shankland, based on a story by Paul Andrew Williams and starring Eva Birthistle and Hannah Tointon. The story centers around a virus that turns all children into blood-thirsty monsters during a winter vacation. The film premiered on 5 December 2008 and received positive reviews from critics. Plot Elaine and Jonah travel with their two children, Miranda and Paulie, along with Casey (Elaine’s teenage daughter from a previous relationship), to spend the New Year with Elaine's older sister, Chloe, her husband Robbie, and their two children, Nicky and Leah. Paulie vomits near the bushes, which his mother believes is due to being carsick. As the night progresses, Nicky and Leah also begin to show symptoms of an illness. Leah coughs up black bile, where strange forms of bacteria are seen proliferating exponentially. The family cat, Jinxie, goes missing. By the next day, all of the children have become pale and infected and begin showing disturbing behavior. Robbie takes the children sledding and Nicky places a garden rake in his path, which slices open Robbie's head on impact. Robbie dies and the children flee into the forest. In the forest, Casey finds Leah laughing and cutting into something, frightening her. Jonah tries to call emergency services, but they are held up by the snowy roads. Paulie attacks Jonah and causes Elaine to break her leg. Casey and Elaine seek refuge in the greenhouse. Chloe finds Robbie's body mutilated by the children; and is attacked by Leah. Casey saves her and Elaine in turn saves Casey from Paulie, accidentally killing him. Chloe accuses Casey and Elaine of going insane and angrily leaves with Jonah to find their kids.