All of us have a monster within us. We dread the thought of having a flesh-eating monster in the dark corners of our house. Sadly, the most chilling of all monsters is the monster that resides within all of us. In the motion picture Little Bites, a mother fights against a creature that is quite literally consuming her, all the while battling her inner demons. Such as each horror picture, Little Bites is directed in a very stylized manner, which makes it seem like a socratic work of art. Throughout the movie, there is a combination of dread and sorrow, giving the viewer a disturbing yet sad feeling. It is deliciously brilliant with gorgeous and familiar faces in the horror genre. Little Bites takes a chunk in this Halloween season and bites down hard.
As we delve into the movie itself, we see Agyar Jon Sklaroff, an evil, flesh feasting creature living inside the house occupied by a young widow, Mindy krsy. The flesh eating monster loves to feed on Mindy and her endless offerings without saying it is the true twisted tale of unconditional love where she offers herself to the monster to protect her daughter Alice. Little does, Alice know about the malevolence that is happening. Mindy comes up with a plan to free her daughter and herself from the monster who has developed an endless obsession of devouring her.
Feeding on Mindy’s body has surely made her weak and forlorn which causes her to decide to offer other meals for the monster in exchange for herself. In the earlier stages of her life, Mindy attempts to poison Paul (Chaz Bono) with poison, but Agyar tells her that he is not worthy of her. Mindy, however, does not let this encounter deter her and instead becomes even more determined to complete her task. As a result, she becomes increasingly relentless in her quest to rid herself of the monster.
Fox is staggering in her role. She does have struggles in getting used to the monster but she still is able to hold realism and grit. The movie is quite depressing and deals with a lot of single motherhood, as Paulina is quite interesting and doesn’t talk to many people. He has a deep contradiction of sedated menace and raw chaos that he ends up showing and the audience will be wowed.
Finally, we are given unique images that capture the slow but steady devouring of Mindy by the monster. It’s disgusting and terrifying. More noteworthy is how the shocking pictures support the film’s overall theme. Little Bites is less about the horrifying creature and more about the challenges and burdens of parenthood. Even with the Child Services threatening her, Mindy doesn’t alter her plans for improving her life and Alice’s.
Here, the film manages to find its originality and rises above the usual monster clichés. The easy option could have been too straightforward creature-feature with a straightforward plot of survival, but Little Bites delves deeper. The film examines the struggles of being a single parent, as well as trauma and grief. For such a straightforward premise, the film is rich in underlying themes and settles with a strong emotional content that is shocking yet brilliant.
In a way, the film brings to mind The Babdook, equally a psychological horror film of a single mother going up against an entity larger than herself. Here, the monster is parenting its trials and its fears. This creature goes beyond being a frightful figure; it is a complex and multifaceted force that sinks its claws into the audience while mockingly showing a reflection of themselves in the process. The monster is an innocent figure of a nightmare, but metaphors for every parent’s outstanding incompetence and self-stubbed curses lies within him.
While proving to be an unnerving commentary on parenthood, the parents behind the film clearly know their audience and provide brilliant winks to genre fans. The movie is packed with a cast of horror faces that makes it fun for who’s who. Bonnie Aarons (from The Nun) appears as Mindy’s mom worried about her daughter. Barbara Crampton appears as a social worker in what quite easily is the most frightening sequence in the film. Last but by no means least, one of the best horror Final Girls, Heather Langenkamp, joins in. Mindy is very much in a supporting role, but she plays a character that reinforces the film’s themes in a brief but critical moment.
Even so, the movie reaches a point where it unfolds all horrors of parenthood and the beautiful book of fables parents write their children, one which would explain it all. Continuing the thematic resemblance with The Babadook, Little Bites unlike its name does not bite but instead ensures you are still and then proceeds to destroy the mother-daughter relationship before bringing it back together in an action filled climax. The conclusion may not sit well with some people but it is unrelenting and ruthless as are the other horrors that expand in this little unremarkable house.
Little Bites is a slow burn, almost like a predator toying with its prey. The plot develops in a smooth manner which creates a potent third act out of the initial two. The film is bleak and disturbing but it’s engaging. There are some great performances and excellent usage of a children’s dark character that’s not just silly but dangerous as he has sadistic voice which carries an element of reality.
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