Now Streaming Free on Tubi: Beware! Children at Play — Troma’s Disturbing Cult Horror with a Final Scene That Stops You Cold
Beware! Children at Play is a 1989 independent horror film directed by Mik Cribben and distributed by Troma Entertainment. The film was shot in New Jersey and, according to production accounts, was made on a low budget. It is currently available to stream on Tubi.
- Film: Beware! Children at Play (1989)
- Director: Mik Cribben
- Distributor: Troma Entertainment
- Streaming: currently available on Tubi
- Production notes: reported budget of $25,000; costume budget reported at $20
Overview
The film was released in 1989 and distributed by Troma Entertainment. Mik Cribben is credited as director. Filming took place in New Jersey. Multiple production accounts describe the shoot as low-budget and resourceful.
Plot (spoilers)
The story follows a small northeastern town where children begin to disappear. Investigations by adults link the events to the Old English poem Beowulf, which, in the film, inspires a group of children to form a cult. The children live in the woods and build a campsite with an altar made of bones.
In the film’s final sequence, the town’s adults confront the children. The sequence depicts the adults killing the children; onscreen methods shown include stabbing with a pitchfork, gunfire, and other violent means. The final sequence runs for an extended portion of the film’s ending and shows multiple deaths.
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Production and behind-the-scenes
Author and former production manager William Burke has written a three-part account of working on the film. According to Burke, the film’s budget was approximately $25,000 and the costume budget was about $20. Burke describes sourcing costumes at discount stores in Manhattan and building the children’s campsite from pallets and discarded camping gear.
Burke also reports that an altar prop, made to look like a set of bones, was convincing enough that hikers found it and called police. He credits his own work for two of the film’s staged kills and says many of the firearms used in the finale belonged to cast members and were loaded with blanks for filming. For further detail, Burke’s account is available on his site:
this three-part behind-the-scenes account from William Burke
Release and availability
Troma Entertainment handled distribution after production. As of the time of writing, the film is available to stream on Tubi.
Credits and key names
Title: Beware! Children at Play
Director: Mik Cribben
Distributor: Troma Entertainment
Reported production budget: $25,000 (per William Burke)
