In CHILDREN OF THE CORN, twelve-year-old Eden, possessed by a spirit in a dying cornfield, recruits the other children in her small town to rise up and take control. Tired of having to pay the price for their parents’ mistakes, Eden leads the kids on a bloody rampage, killing the adults and anyone who opposes her. With all the adults jailed or dead, it comes down to one high schooler who won’t go along with the plan and becomes the town’s only hope of survival.

For thoughts on Children of the Corn (2023), please check out our review of the Blu-Ray here.

Video Quality

Children of the Corn (2023) comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray about ten months after the film was originally released on Blu-Ray. We did not expect to see a format upgrade, but this title is one that truly benefits from a fantastic 2160p transfer with HDR10. Not all 4K UHD releases from RLJE Entertainment sport HDR, but we are happy to see this one does. The cinematography unleashes some lush colors within the environments such as the shades of green within the cornfield and landmarks around the town. The tremendous saturation throughout allows for complex hues that bring more out of the picture.

The HDR also helps when it comes to how contrast is handled. Where there is a bit of murkiness during the nighttime sequences on the Blu-Ray, the 4K UHD Blu-Ray clears this up in a respectable manner. Black levels are much more robust, and highlights are tuned in to the perfect level. The level of detail is bumped up a small amount, but nothing that reveals night-and-day changes in texture. Nearly every element from the texture of the cornstalks to the clothing is rendered well. The special effects are not very convincing, but that is not an issue with the transfer itself. Skin tones are perfectly natural throughout with some amazing details present in certain shots. RLJE Entertainment allows this film to look like the best version of itself.

Audio Quality

The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that delivers a powerful listening experience. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Activity in the low end digs deep during the finale and other sporadic moments throughout. The score maintains a nice fidelity that suits the film well. Environmental effects are important within the film, and this track distinguishes each sound with care. This track delivers a fully realized world replete with unique sonic details. Directionality is accurate so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. RLJE has delivered a formidable track that serves the film well. There are English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles for those who desire them.

Special Features

RLJE Entertainment has provided Children of the Corn (2023) with a sleek new SteelBook exclusively available at Walmart that is gorgeous in person. The front artwork is an image of the cornfield with a scarecrow in the center, and the rear features more of the cornfield with a saying above it. The interior sports a still photo of the kids standing around with weapons. Photos of the SteelBook can be found at the bottom of this review.

The Making of Children of the Corn: A nearly seven-minute featurette has been added to the 4K UHD disc in which the cast and creative team discuss delivering a new take on this story, the themes of the story, the casting of the feature, and more.

Deleted Scenes: Two scenes totaling nearly four minutes are provided here which involves the creepy kids sipping on juice boxes and a beloved friend being sacrificed to the corn.

Final Thoughts

Children of the Corn (2023) would perhaps work as a forgettable horror film if it was not tied to the famous source material which brings about a certain level of expectation. The film is very narrowly defined with not much in the way of nuance, as every narrative decision reads as very surface-level with no room for ambiguity. The young actress who represents the evil leader of the children is very good in her role, but the rest of the cast seems to be struggling to conjure any charisma. The dodgy CGI does not do the film any favors, but there are some malicious kills for those just in for the body count. There are entertaining scenes, but largely this is a very weak adaptation. RLJE Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a tremendous A/V presentation and a small array of special features, all in a gorgeous new SteelBook package.

Children of the Corn (2023) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook exclusively at Walmart.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: RLJE Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.