'Killer kid' movies don't generally do it for me. By developing their antagonists in the same manner as they would an adult, the central characters usually seem more banal than anything, and this seriously decreases the enjoyment of the film. Films like Children of the Corn and The Pit have discredited this particular sub-genre, and as a result our expectations of such films are generally quite low. I was particularly surprised to find that Devil Times Five (which precedes most of the murderous children films by at least a few years, with its 1974 release) is actually quite good, in the traditional 1970's exploitation sense of the word.

Your appreciation of a film like Devil Times Five is going to hinge on your tolerance for the exploitation of the five murderous children. They are unrealistically developed characters with no motivation for their actions. I'm sorry to spoil it for you, but if you're hoping for some sort of logical explanation for their actions, you'll be quite unhappy when the credits roll. The only hint we're given as to the reason they do what they do certainly doesn't even begin to explain their motivations. The kids act more like adults than children, which is to be expected given the subject matter, with their own 'unique' characteristics. Once the violence begins, the children perform all manner of depraved acts from drowning their victims to stabbing, etc. The young actors were also required to film a scene with a naked woman, and I will agree that there is something inherently wrong with that request. So, as you may have gathered there are numerous things for a viewer to object to; if you're a tight-ass when it comes to the exploitation of children for our entertainment, you may want to look elsewhere. Luckily I'm not... On with the review!

This is exactly what makes Devil Times Five so much better than similar movies; it doesn't shy away from its subject matter. By developing the characters in the fashion that they do, they seem less like children and more like deranged lunatics. Kids, as they are, aren't scary; painted as being genuinely deranged, and quite simply evil, it makes their scenes that much more effective. So, after a rather uninteresting first half, which left me expecting very little for the rest of the film, I was pleasantly surprised with how genuinely off-kilter and disgusting these little characters were. It's easy to hate them, and I found myself sitting in the dark, my mind racing to how they were going to get their just desserts.

Also to the film's benefit is the fact that a couple of the deaths are genuinely unexpected. For every death that is foreshadowed a mile away, there is one that catches you completely off guard. Very refreshing, I must admit. The deaths are relatively tame, even by 1970s standards, but seem all the more vicious as a result of their being committed by such innocent looking children. The murder sequences serve only to push the simple plot forward, as there is really no sort of depth to the film. As a viewer you'll be required to suspend your disbelief, as characters make highly illogical decisions, and you'll have to overlook more than a few large plot holes. It's all par for the course though... This was 1970s exploitation cinema, and a good example at that.

Killer kids, more than one set of naked breast, all sorts of objectionable conduct – all the ingredients of a successful exploitation film. The film manages to overcome a boring first half, with a suitably trashy second half, and an incredibly downbeat ending. Devil Times Five is perhaps the best film of its kind, and may never be topped in terms of the sheer success of its exploitation elements. The film also contains the most ridiculous cat-fight I've ever seen in a movie. It must be seen to be believed.