Why I took it off the list: The presence of scream queen legends Heather Langenkamp (Nightmare on Elm Street) and Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator) in the supporting cast convinced me to check out this horror flick.
It’s written and directed by musician Spider One (Rob Zombie’s brother) but didn’t know much apart from that going in
So, let’s dig in!
Review of Little Bites (2024)

Executive produced by Cher and her son Chaz Bono, the story of this film concerns Mindy (Krsy Fox), a downtrodden young mother who offers ‘little bites’ of her body to an English-accented demon living in her basement to keep it appeased.
She’s sent her young daughter Alice away to her hostile mother’s house to keep her away from the demon’s influence, and it’s implied she is feeding the demon for the good of her daughter.
Her routine is shaken up when a Child Protective Services agent (played by Crampton) shows up to check on Alice’s welfare, and Mindy considers feeding someone else to the creature for a change. She then goes out on the hunt for potential victims, including Paul (played by Bono), a nebbish man she meets at a bus stop.
She later meets a woman on a park bench (played by Langenkamp) who imparts some motherly advice to her. But it’s revealed that the woman has the same bite marks as Mindy, suggesting a widespread malaise of motherhood.
As Alice arrives home, Mindy starts to push back against the demon’s hold over her, and realizes that they have to face down the demon together in order to vanquish it.
A Demon for the Ages

In its use of a monster as a metaphor for a mother’s depression, Little Bites clearly draws more than a little inspiration from The Babadook. It often feels like a gorier, more literal version of that film, especially in its final stretch.
However, despite this familiarity, it nonetheless impresses and chills with its creature, as the demon, named Agyar, is an incredibly memorable creation. Jon Sklaroff gives a freaky, uncanny performance as the monster, who remains shockingly polite while he drips with menace.
What’s more, the scenes with Agyar are sparsely lit and cloaked in shadow, greatly adding to the mystique of the creature. There are also a couple of effective jump scares when the demon suddenly appears.
The film is well-shot in general, with stylish production and costume design, and the use of special make-up and gore effects is excellent.
Among the rest of the cast, Fox gives a believable performance as a beleaguered mother, brimming with palpable shame, regret, and barely contained rage. Bonnie Aarons (The Nun) also makes a strong impression out of her usual creature make-up in a single scene as the acid-tongued grandmother.
Final score: 7/10
Little Bites (2024): Worth Watching?
Yes, Little Bites clearly owes a big debt to The Babadook, but is an entertaining ride on its own merits. The performances are all strong, there are plenty of tense scenes, and the creature design and cinematography are excellent.