Why Is '1899's Silent Kid So Creepy?

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for 1899 Season 1.There are a number of elements at work in the Netflix hit show 1899 that make it play as a suspenseful and mysterious thriller. Being separated from a larger civilization out on the wide open ocean aboard a ship provides isolation that can be unnerving. The prospect of being in an area where no one can come to your rescue or hear your cries for help if something goes awry is an uncomfortable feeling. Being among people who are from different countries also provides a communication gap that can also make us feel uneasy. Not being understood is something that can test your nerves. And, of course, coming upon an abandoned ship with no explanation of what happened to the over 1200 passengers on board is incredibly frightening. But few things are as chilling as the plot device of using a child that either can't or won't speak like Elliot (Fflyn Edwards) or, "The Silent Kid" in 1899. He is the most recent addition in the history of television and film to use a young child as a vehicle to instill fear in audiences.

A lot of what goes into making a character terrifying begins with how they are introduced into the story. In 1899, Elliot is found aboard a ship called the Prometheus that has been lost at sea for over four months before being stumbled upon by the crew and passengers aboard the Kerberos. The small group deployed to make the trip to board the Prometheus, including the Captain of the Kerberos, Eyk Larsen (Andreas Pietschmann), and a physician Maura Franklin (Emily Beecham), is met by an environment completely devoid of light and sound. The questions you immediately ask yourself are, "Where did everyone go?" and, "How did this happen?". The setting is already incredibly frightening. So when they discover a single boy locked in a cabinet as the sole survivor on the ship, you are immediately struck with a sense of uneasiness and dread about how he managed to survive alone, locked away for over four months and there is no one else to be found. It's reasonable to wonder if he had something to do with such an unsettling discovery. Never mind that he is ashen white as a ghost and donning a little black suit with knickers like an innocent schoolboy.

Not Your Typical Boy

Another reason 1899's mysterious young boy, Elliot, is so disturbing is because he doesn't meet our expectations associated with children around his age. We expect seven, eight, and nine-year-old kids to be naturally energetic and inquisitive, wanting to know and absorb as much about the world around them as quickly as they can. When you meet an otherwise healthy kid who for whatever reason won't speak about himself or his surroundings, that can seem extremely strange. Elliot appears like any other child but the fact that he chooses to remain silent, especially when a series of odd and scary events are surrounding his presence, male him a terrifying character.

Search This Blog