“The sins of the Father are to be laid upon the children.” Sayings such as this have circulated around enough that nearly all of us, religious or not, have heard them before. Just exactly how someone is supposed to “cleanse” themselves of sin varies with each religion, and quite frankly, from person to person. For some, the solution is one that requires, well, drastic measures. Children of Sin, Written and Directed by Christopher Wesley Moore, takes a look at just how drastic those measures can be for one unfortunate pair of siblings. 

Teenagers Emma (Meredith Mohler) and Jackson (Lewis Hines) live with their mom (Keni Bounds) and stepfather (Jeff Buchwald) in the heart of bible belt Mississippi. From exterior appearances, they seem like a typical blended family, but once you begin to peel back the layers it’s much more problematic. Almost immediately, we get a sense for the heavy religious viewpoints that stepfather Robbie has as he watches a television program preaching about the sins of homosexuality while Jackson sits uncomfortably nearby. 

Upstairs, things aren’t going much better for Emma, as is evident by the pregnancy test box in the trash as she proceeds to get sick. Not only is Emma’s pregnancy soon exposed, thanks to that empty test box that she inexplicably fails to even attempt to hide, but Robbie discovers that Jackson is gay after catching him watching adult videos. Robbie is none too pleased that, in his eyes at least, both his stepchildren are now sinners.

Though it’s very clear that Tammy is simply going through the motions of playing the role of devoted, obedient wife, she goes out of her way to back up his opinions and stand by her husband–which leads to her hecticly ushering Emma and Jackson out of the house in the middle of the night. The two teens understandably believe they’re escaping Robbie’s tyranny, only to awaken in a strange home with a woman standing over them.

That home is identified from the sign outside as Abraham House, and the woman introduces herself as Mary Ester (Jo-Ann Robinson). Abraham House is touted as a religious retreat, lead by Mary Ester and Hank, (Christopher Wesley Moore) who claims the program “helped” him, as he no longer has homosexual urges.

You can see where this is going. The lengths Mary Ester, in particular, goes to in the name of religion is more sinister and shocking than those staying at Abraham House could have ever feared. What originally seemed like an uncomfortable and aggravating weekend forced upon them quickly turns into an all-out fight for survival against a maniacal zealot hellbent on enacting her outrageous beliefs – at any cost. 

Children of Sin isn’t the kind of story that grips you immediately and doesn’t let go. It instead opts to slowly ease its hold on you subtly over the course of the film, leaving you transfixed until the final credits roll. Merit for this goes to the scriptwork by Moore, who doesn’t waste a single moment of storytelling and expertly utilizes every frame to build tension. It should be noted that there are references and depictions of sexual abuse, and to keep that in mind if it is a trigger, though it does play an important part in the overall story. 

What is a good story without a stellar cast, though, and this one delivers substantially on that front. Robinson, in particular, is captivatingly (and frighteningly) believable in her role as a deranged extremist. Her performance is buttery smooth and oddly charismatic, while also maintaining an air of terrifying mistrust, all with an expertise reminiscent of Jessica Lange. Mohler and Hines are also excellent, playing their characters’ differing viewpoints effortlessly. It’s easy to feel sympathy for them and the others in the house who are up against the tyranny of those in charge, which only helps to amp up the stakes significantly.

Children of Sin feels much larger in scope and production than the budget it had to work with, and deserves every bit of exposure and recognition it can hopefully get once it’s released. It’s a three course feast that sets itself apart in the indie world to be nowhere near a buffet selection. 

9 out of 10