Though I watched this film for a couple of horror challenges, it’s not really horror, but it certainly does have an atmosphere of unease and dread throughout, the feeling that something is just not right. And there is plenty of everyday horror to be found, especially if you watch it with the thought that the children of the town will soon go through World War 1 and then will be their parents’ ages when the Nazi regime takes hold in Germany, many of them likely becoming Nazis themselves. There is much to examine here about class structure, small town provincial attitudes, and toxic patriarchal family structures. But the topic that seems to be at the heart of the film is practiced morality vs. perceived morality and the clear indication that it is much more important in this society to appear morally upstanding than to actually behave morally. The movie leaves the viewer with a lot of questions and a lot to think about.

2026 Challenges
Horrorx52: 14. Horror Adjacent 
Legacy of Horror: Week 18 - Creepy Kids