Kids can be the worst. It’s okay, we can all admit it. Who among us has not been stuck with an uncontrollable child that tests the limits of your patience? We know there is nothing truly supernatural about their poor behavior, but such an explanation would at times be more comforting than the fact that the child in question is just a real pill. Such are the thoughts that have brought us the horror subgenre of “killer kids” which is usually an entertaining time whether it is good or bad. There are the classics of the genre like The Bad Seed or The Omen which are quite unsettling to this day. Then you have the undiscovered gems that do not get discussed with the same reverence as the noteworthy titles. One title that fit the bill and slipped by my radar is the unapologetic 1992 film Mikey. The film does not appear to have made much of an impression stateside, and it surprisingly remains banned in the UK until this day due to its similarity to a national tragedy. While understandable, it comes as somewhat of a shame as the titular Mikey is one of the more effective evil children I have witnessed on film.
Most films might try to ease you into the story and showcase the sweet side of the kid before pulling the rug out from underneath you. Mikey is not interested in wasting time with such deception; this kid is an agent of chaos from the opening sequence. Mikey (Brian Bonsall, Family Ties) is seen burning newspapers in his basement in the presence of his disturbed little sister, who refuses to take the blame when their mom discovers what is happening. He does not respond well to being reprimanded, which leads him to carefully dispatching everyone in the house in the most cold and calculating manner. It should come as no surprise that this film is not exactly interested in being believable; the clueless police are happy to accept that Mikey is the lone survivor of a home invasion. They apparently did not look around too thoroughly for evidence considering the little psychopath filmed the elaborate way he dispatched his father. We learn that Mikey is actually a foster kid who evidently comes from a rough situation, but little else is said to provide any kind of motivation for the terror this kid dishes out.
Needing a new family, Mikey is fostered by fresh-faced Neil and Rachel Trenton (John Diehl and Mimi Craven), who are not told anything about Mikey’s past horrors. Now is when we see Mikey play the part of the loving child who is grateful to have a new family. Bonsall is pretty impressive in the way he is able to weave between unchecked psychopathy and angelic child depending on his surroundings. This is a role that could very easily be too over-the-top for a kid, but Bonsall is controlled enough to keep Mikey on the right side of believable. The story itself does not play out in any particularly surprising way. The new parents are very quick to dismiss the notion that anything may be wrong with Mikey when his teacher (Ashley Laurence) expresses concern over behavior she has seen in class, including self-harm and drawing disturbing pictures. Mikey also becomes fixated on his teenage neighbor Jessie (Josie Bissett, Melrose Place), who makes the mistake of being sweet to him in the way you are to little kids. When Mikey eventually feels slighted once again, it is not good news for anyone in his path.
Mikey is not a horror film that will bring about genuine terror, but it does give you exactly what you want in terms of shocking violence. This is not an over-the-top gorefest, but Mikey brings about some carnage that will have you wincing. Some might argue that the middle section of the film drags a bit too much, but it feels like the proper building of tension between the eye-opening beginning and the go-for-broke finale that does not shy away from a body count. There are a few weak links in the older cast members, mainly the Trentons, but overall the cast effectively inhibits their roles. Bissett is a standout as a character who quickly regrets her decision to be kind to her brother’s friend. All of the smaller elements in the film are executed much more effectively than I ever anticipated. When I saw a low-budget horror film from the early 90s, I expected a cheesefest of epic proportions. Although the film is not exactly subtle or believable, it brings a level of competence to the proceedings that makes it a really fun ride. Once you see how evil Mikey is, you might not complain the next time you have a child fraying your nerves. It could definitely be worse.
Video Quality
Mikey makes its long-awaited Blu-Ray debut via the MVD Rewind Collection with a 1080p transfer. The source of the transfer is unclear, but the quality is apparent on the screen. The results are quite impressive with an organically filmic presentation that does not appear to suffer from any digital manipulation. For the majority of the film, the transfer is incredibly clear and detailed, but there is the occasional shot that runs on the soft side or experiences some fluctuations in density. The presentation features some pleasing detail in the production design and texture of clothing. Colors are fairly vibrant and bright in the mostly daytime setting of the film. The black levels are pretty strong with a pleasing amount of depth. There is the occasional nick or scratch present in the print, but overall this is free of blatant damage. This is a pretty great presentation for a film that was probably not expected to get such a carefully considered transfer.
Audio Quality
MVD Visual brings us this new Blu-Ray with an LPCM 2.0 track that offers a very strong audio experience. The dialogue holds up quite nicely, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the score or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely including the chatter of Mikey’s classmates and the sound of the water on the boat ride. This track does not present with any glaring instances of age related wear and tear. This is a track that represents the film in a very pleasing way. Optional English (SDH) and Spanish subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- The Making of Mikey: A new, epic 1-hour-and-27-minute featurette which gives so much rich detail from the making of Mikey. Director Dennis Dimster Denk, editor Natan Zahavi, cinematographer Tom Jewett, and star Brian Bonsall all relay very interesting anecdotes from the development and production of the film, as well as some stories on what they have been up to since the film was released. A piece this in-depth was not expected, but is definitely appreciated for anyone with a soft spot for this film.
- Anatomy of a Scene – Mikey: A nearly 14-minute analysis of the crazy finale with director Dennis Dimster Denk in which he gives his commentary while the scene plays picture-in-picture. There are many interesting little tidbits dropped throughout that kind-of makes up for the lack of a full commentary track.
- Trailers: A two-minute HD trailer for Mikey is included here. The disc also features trailers for other MVD releases including Bram Stoker’s Shadowbuilder, Dahmer, Mind Games and Split Second.
- Poster: A fold-out poster of the cover art is included in the case.
Final Thoughts
Mikey is the type of film that is intended to be more of a throwaway effort that works better than it should. For a film that could have gone comically off-the-rails, Mikey actually features some decent performances and pretty intense situations. MVD Entertainment has offered up a great Blu-Ray with a strong A/V presentation and an extremely thorough set of special features. For those with a soft spot for the “evil kid” genre, this one should hit the spot as an unexpected delight. Recommended
Mikey is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: MVD 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
