Bless the Child

Gleefully silly “spawn of satan” entry is not *quite* a rip-off of THE OMEN, but shares much of its style and attitude – like Peck before her, Basinger firmly grounds this with a credible and believable performance which counterbalances Russell’s overripe direction, not to mention some very entertaining gurning from Sewell; Smits’ low-key work as the detective on the case is effective, but the extensive detours into the police investigation feel like extraneous padding – the film would have been more effective (and concise) with a sole focus on Basinger. Good fun if you like your horror cheesy and full of rosary beads and habits!