It is always tough to be a parent, especially when you are facing personal problems. This is especially true for Mindy (played by Krsy Fox) in the new film Little Bites, directed by Spider One. Mindy has a horrible secret: she is trying to keep a demon happy by letting it eat her flesh, little by little.
Many films use demons or similar creatures to represent the mental health struggles of parents. Some examples are The Babadook and Clown. Little Bites has strong elements, but some problems with the story and how it is told weaken its full effect.
What Is Little Bites About?
In Little Bites, we meet Mindy, a caring mother who has been away from her daughter Alice (played by Elizabeth Phoenix Caro) for three weeks. Mindy is not in a good place to take care of Alice. She cannot sleep well and is in constant pain because of her terrible secret.
Throughout the day and night, she hears the sound of a bell. Whenever she hears it, she leaves what she is doing and goes into a dark room on the first floor of her house. In this room, there is a demon named Agyar (played by Jon Sklaroff), who survives by eating Mindy’s flesh, one small piece at a time.
Mindy feels trapped and unhappy. She is also distant from her mother (played by Bonnie Aarons), who shows a lot of frustration. Mindy desperately tries to find a new way to move forward when everything becomes too overwhelming.
Krsy Fox and Jon Sklaroff Shine Despite Story Issues
Little Bites highlights the performances of Krsy Fox and Jon Sklaroff. Fox, who also helped produce and edit the film, is in almost every scene. She gives a powerful performance as the exhausted mother, showing her character’s tiredness, need, and pain.
Sklaroff plays Agyar with an aristocratic and evil presence that comes through in every word he says. This is important since audiences rarely see him. His words are full of threats, but he does not have to force it because the tension is already there.
The film also features horror legends in smaller roles, such as Barbara Crampton as a stern CPS agent and Heather Langenkamp as a caring stranger who understands Mindy’s pain. Both actors give strong performances, along with Chaz Bono as the quiet character Paul, whose role will not be revealed.
The script, written by Spider One, is mostly strong. Mindy’s character is believable, and there are many memorable lines, especially from Sklaroff’s character Agyar. However, the main issue with the script is its structure.
Mindy’s character grows and changes, but the story does not flow logically. Some parts feel like random events or choices rather than connected moments in a tight story. While the scenes work well, thanks to the talented cast, improving the film’s internal logic and making the story feel more natural would have made it stronger.
As a close and metaphorical story about a mother dealing with addiction (with Agyar as a clear symbol), Little Bites only shines at times. Fox’s performance is sincere, hitting the emotional low points well. The brief moments with famous horror actors like Crampton and Langenkamp are interesting.
Agyar is a creepy demon presence, and his performance is excellent. Still, the film’s straightforwardness makes its story and character development feel too obvious.
Additionally, clearer connections between the events and character choices would add excitement and make the pacing smoother, rather than feeling like a series of jumps between typical plot points. Many things work well in Little Bites, but they often mix with elements that do not achieve their goals.
Little Bites Needs Minor Changes
Many parts of Little Bites work very well. The creature makeup looks impressive, and the performances are memorably threatening with added flair. Krsy Fox leads the story effectively, and the film asks a lot from her.
There are some excellent lines of dialogue and many scenes that work well, thanks to appearances from horror legends.
The film offers a mostly smooth viewing experience, but some parts feel too forced or overly simple, making the themes feel too obvious. There is a lot of potential in this film, but it does not fully realize it, resulting in a decent movie that stops short of being a truly great horror experience.
