Closer to God


Closer to God is a 2014 American science fiction horror film produced by and starring Jeremy Childs.

Plot

Dr. Victor Reed is a humorlessly committed biological scientist with a privately funded genetic experimental laboratory secreted away on a locked floor in a hospital. We first encounter him as he's delivering Elizabeth, a seemingly normal infant who's nonetheless very special as the first of her kind. Reluctantly if cryptically announcing this breakthrough to the public, he braves an immediate firestorm of pushy press inquiries, as well as outrage from those who believe such scientific explorations represent a grave offense against God and nature. Others note the great medical advances that cloning might help instigate, but they're generally shouted down by the pious and appalled.
The outcry is such that government authorities are pressured to drum up criminal charges against Victor. Worried about security, he transfers the baby from the lab to his own home, a gated country estate where wife Claire is already fed up with his workaholic neglect of their own “normal” family, including two preschool daughters. While she can't help but take a maternal interest in Elizabeth, the tense atmosphere worsens as protestors and media discover the baby's new location — as leaked by lab assistant Laura, who has serious ethical and safety worries over the doctor's treatment of his experimental progeny.
Perhaps even more perilous than the rising clamor outside, however, is a ticking time bomb within: A couple who work for the household are also charged with minding a murkily explained older child who is evidently the product of a less successful, earlier cloning attempt. Kept in barred quarters away from the main building, the increasingly violent, misshapen Ethan inevitably busts out to go on a rampage, terrorizing all in the climactic reel.

Cast

In addition to acting in and producing the film, Childs also served as the casting director.

Reception

The film has a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Wes Greene of Slant Magazine gave the film two stars out of four. Dann Gire of the Daily Herald awarded the film two stars. John Anderson of IndieWire graded the film a B.