 | MOVIE DETAILS • Name: Ankle Biters (aka Cherrypicker) • Year: 2021 • Country: Canada • Director: Bennet De Brabandere • Main cast: Marianthi Evans, Zion Forrest Lee, Violet Reid, Lily Gail Reid, Dahlia Reid, Rosalee Reid • Runtime: 91 minutes • Production company: Flax Films • TRAILER
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Although the plot for Ankle Biters (2021) might sound silly, and the movie is at moments made with a caricature tone, what we have here is not the typical horror-comedy conceived to make the audience laugh while witnessing a bloodbath. The movie is not taken to the surreal level and it focuses on the psyche of the characters, especially those 4 little girls, those sisters always together and always plotting.
Because, yes, the story can sound ridiculous if it was in the hands of other filmmakers. A widow with four adorable little daughters is dating a former hockey star. The couple is more than passionate and their sex life is as abundant as kinky. The woman has a complete devotion to her kids but is excited about her new man, a man that also adores the girls. But that situation would be idyllic if it wasn’t for a little detail: those four girls won’t let the new man replace their deceased father. And perhaps it was a misunderstanding, or perhaps the girls see what they want to see for their own convenience, but all that rough sex, those ropes, handcuffs, tape, and spanking, are taken as aggression to their mother. So the man must die.
Ankle Biters (2021) is very straightforward. The four girls are united and will work together in order to achieve whatever they desire. They are cute in aspect only, because their reality is full of malice and they united are a dangerous force. And that is what makes the film attractive. The story, written by Zion Forrest Lee, who is also the star of the movie playing the stepfather-to-be, is quite potent, but the screenplay penned by the director Bennet De Brabandere, alongside the directional craft itself, is quite chaotic. The narrative is confusing, although it’s not a big deal because the story of the film and its happenings is simple enough.
Also known as Cherrypicker, the movie is entertaining to watch, at moments intriguing, and with a few moments to share a laugh. The four sisters do a surprisingly good performance taking into consideration their age and the fact that they are pretty much the stars of the film. And the adult actors also accomplish their duties positively, although at times they seem to be lost by the chaotic direction. It all works as a simple and entertaining product, but the original story had more potential than what we can see in the final result.
Ankle Biters (2021) is out on demand on November 16, 2021, so if you catch it you shouldn’t be disappointed.
RATE: 5/10
IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6969954
