The Horror Section’s Ice Cream Man channels that nostalgic adventure spirit of films like Goonies, but with a relentlessly bloody twist and a chilling concept of zombie children.

Every single child actor, from the leads to the background, delivers an incredible performance with such tight teamwork and direction that it was genuinely impressive.

Eli Roth has a wonderful rapport with the kids on camera creating a fun and dynamic parent/child relationship. The kids appear to be having fun creating memorable shots, like the girl waving bye-bye with a combination of innocence and evil which is forever seared into my brain.

I loved the nods to childhood games and crafts. The over the top art projects these children create would get them extra credit if they haven’t killed the teacher that dishes out the grades. The playground scene is a huge highlight for fun and games, although my favorite game they play in the movie is Operation.

The film blends gore and nostalgia so well that it made me wish I was part of the cast. As an actor who loves the horror genre, I’d jump at the opportunity to work on a project like this. I had a blast laughing and squirming as the children boldly played murder games on the screen.

Roth nails the specific style of this genre movie. A few standout moments that really captured the tone for me included the exposition moment in the freezer, as well as epic shift that Charlie Storey does while explaining that somebody hurt her mother.

Storey’s performance actually gave me goosebumps. Keep an eye on that young actress, she’s going to be a huge star.

I do have to mention that a couple of the jokes feel outdated and have caused a bit of controversy online as well as some use of generative artificial intelligence, but it’s a fantastic ride that serves as a sharp reminder of the importance of supporting films in theaters.