13th Child may not have much appeal on the level of folklore purism, and its grasp on facts isn't so hot either. The film has a stereotyped view of south Jerseyans, and its ideas of how police and scientific investigations proceed aren't exactly encumbered by the dictates of reality. In addition, the script makes too many concessions intended to push the plot along, like staging several awkward question-and-answer "conversations" that are just thinly veiled expositional speeches; they seem like pale imitations of the Lecter/Starling interrogations in The Silence of the Lambs without anywhere near the same delicate interaction.

But don't take my reservations as indication that 13th Child has nothing to offer as a piece of entertainment. Although the film's low-budget origins are evident, they're not overpowerng; even the lesser- and unknown actors are believable in their roles, and director Steven Stockage arranges a few interesting shots and stages balances the gore in action scenes with some restraint. Given more experience, he could evolve into a stylistic director. But for now, he and the actors have lent their talents to a movie that has potential but isn't well-formed; a work that took a deep pool of folklore and only played in the shallow end.