Suffer Little Children  | 1983 | UK | Alan Briggs

Shot on video with very few resources by the entrepreneurial wit of director Alan Briggs and writer Meg Shanks, Suffer Little Children is a supernatural horror set against the backdrop of a children’s home, which was almost asking for trouble at the time. Carers Jenny and Maurice accept a mute girl into the disadvantaged kids’ shelter they manage, only aware of her name Elizabeth. As she begins to exert an unnatural influence over the other children, no one realises until it’s too late that Elizabeth’s origin is somewhat unearthly, allowing her to control the other chavvies into doing her malevolent bidding and unleashing an unnatural bloodbath on the adults around her. Technically inept and low grade to say the least, the film is certainly enthusiastic by throwing in zombies, possessions, child death and even Jesus Christ himself. As the nasties saga unfolded, the film was seized in the beginning of 1985 with a vision to prosecute the title based not just under the Obscene Publications Act but also the Protection of Children Act. After the BBFC advised cuts, the film’s master tapes were returned later that year.