Eskil Vogt’s (Blind) chilling Nordic supernatural thriller, about a group of children who secretly discover that they share dark and mysterious powers, is a strong contender for genre film of the year.

Ida moves into a Norwegian housing block with her autistic elder sister Anna and becomes fast friends with Ben and Aisha. The four children roam in the hills near the estate, discovering that Ben can move objects with his mind. In time, a psychic bond develops between them, but their new gifts ask them to walk a line between good and evil…

Shot mostly from the perspectives of the children, The Innocents cares less about how the childrens’ dark, secret abilities affect the terrified adults than how pre-adolescent personalities can be warped by barely understood powers. Genuinely disturbing (cat lovers be warned) and deliberately paced, it’s a confrontation with an unsentimental view of childhood, backed up by uncannily strong performances from its young cast.

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