Child Eater is a brief horror project centered on the unsettling reality of a child’s fears. It wasn’t particularly well-executed. The short film was subsequently expanded into a feature-length movie, which might be an improvement, but this initial version simply didn't quite work out. Short horror films often have the advantage of concentrating solely on one idea and its visual presentation, allowing for inventive thematic exploration due to limited screen time. However, Child Eater attempted to pack numerous themes into a fifteen-minute runtime without demonstrating much originality in their treatment. The narrative jumps from a boogeyman hiding in a closet who consumes eyes—somehow instantly killing the victim—to nightmares, then to storks that devour eyeballs and children, followed by a missing child storyline, teen pregnancy, and concluding with jump scares. It’s quite a lot to cover in fifteen minutes. Adding to this, the short film relies heavily on shaky camera work, which I consider an uninspired method of generating suspense. The acting feels somewhat theatrical, and every moment intended to be frightening resorts to jump scares. The characters also exhibit a level of foolishness common in poorly made horror films, choosing to run toward the basement while trying to escape a killer instead of fleeing outside, then failing to keep watch when attempting to leave the basement. There’s nothing particularly memorable about Child Eater that distinguishes it from other horror shorts, which is disappointing. The idea of an antagonist who requires fresh eyeballs to maintain its vision evokes comparisons to Grimlocks from Charmed and is otherwise a fairly original concept. If you're looking for something with tired horror clichés, excessive screaming, and unrealistic fake blood, I wouldn’t go out of your way to watch this film; however, if it happens to be available, spend your next fifteen minutes watching Child Eater.

Source on TMDB