Nerdly » ‘Attack of the Adult Babies’ Review

09th Jul2018

‘Attack of the Adult Babies’ Review

by Alain Elliott

Stars: Kurtis Lowe, Andrew Dunn, Andy Abrahams, Dominic Brunt, Charlie Chuck, Kate Coogan, Simon Corble, Samantha Daniels, Sally Dexter, Howard Ellis, Nicky Evans, Thalia Zucchi, Joanne Mitchell, Mica Proctor, Laurence R. Harvey | Written by Joanne Mitchell, Paul Shrimpton | Directed by Dominic Brunt

Attack of the Adult Babies. What a title! It’s enough on its own to make me want to watch it but the movie has plenty more to offer than the crazy-sounding title. Director Dominic Brunt is best known to many as Paddy in U.K. soap Emmerdale but genre fans should know him better for his directorial work. His first movie was the excellent, gritty, slow burn zombie film Before Dawn and he followed it up with the sometimes-hard-to-watch but great revenge thriller Bait. With his third feature he has chose something very very different…

After watching Attack of the Adult Babies you’ll realise that the title line is actually quite a small part of the movie but it’s such a good title I will definitely forgive the filmmakers for using it. The film starts with two different stories that you know will soon interlink but it’s difficult to see how. One story features a (slightly awkward) family games night that is interrupted by two men with guns and orders for three of the family to search and find a file from a nearby country house. The other story stays with the adult babies. We are introduced to the nurses that care for them (not quite wearing the NHS uniform!) and the men themselves.

Now, if you have seen a lot of genre films and the odd fetish documentary, then things wont seem that strange yet. But don’t worry, this is only the tip of the ice berg when it comes to strangeness! As the story unravels, adult babies will seem quite normal!

If weirdness isn’t all you need, then there’s a whole lot of blood and gore! A mix of CGI and practical effects are featured in several death and injury scenes. The practical effects are my preferred choice and they prove the best option here when it comes to intestines pouring out of stomachs and blood (and more) splattering across white walls. Brunt seems to enjoy having this more comedic and gory style. The music is great to. One thing I wasn’t expecting was a great eighties-inspired synth score but that’s exactly what we get from composer Thomas Ragsdale.

There’s a good mix of experience and inexperience when it comes to the actors. A few from various British soaps and shows (there’s lots of unexplored talent here) get the chance to play roles they definitely aren’t known for. Nicky Evans in a small role as Vlad is a highlight, as is Thalia Zucchi who is a great choice as the lead woman Barbara. Other notable performances come from Joanne Mitchell and Mica Proctor. Mitchell almost goes a bit too over the top with her role but it works. While Proctor puts in a very natural and believable performance as Kim. There’s at least one other familiar face to horror fans to, with Laurence R. Harvey (The Human Centipede II) as one of the adult babies.

The film twists and turns in some unexpected ways leading to a giant monster of sorts wreaking havoc and it all concluding with a fantastically gory and extremely well made claymation scene from Lee Hardcastle (horror fans will recognise his work).

Attack of the Adult Babies clearly isn’t for everyone. But any movie that features the hilarious Charlie Chuck (Uncle Peter in Vic and Bob’s Big Night Out) and directly quotes The Young Ones, will always seem like it’s made for me! There’s plenty for everyone to enjoy though. Whether you’re a fan of anything a bit bizarre or like your comedies oddly dark or you’re just love lots of gore, then this film’s for you.

Attack of the Adult Babies is the best of British horror bizarreness, right up there alongside The League of Gentleman, Aaaaaaaah! and Psychoville.