As far as I can tell the Kinderfanger (or, "Child Snatcher" in German) isn't actually a real folklore character.
Rather, use of the term generally applies to the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Whom, in the case of this film (and previous CryptTV webseries, after which this film is based) has been combined with a Wiedergänger type character...to give us the monster we see here (who also happens to be called The Piper...though, only in the credits).
Although, there is also an earlier short film of the same name; and a Wizards Of The Coast card relating to it...so perhaps it's origin lies there, somewhere.
Either way...the thing is known to snatch children.
And, an urban legend has popped up around him.
Even though it's the children, themselves, who do most of the snatching in this film.
Albeit, after they have gone missing, only to return as his demonic minions...that exhibit zombie like qualities.
In the case of the plot, we find ourselves following a formerly deaf music teacher (who has regained her hearing from a surgery...after losing it as a result of childhood trauma); and a man who lost his son to the creature...rendering him hellbound to kill whatever the Kinderfanger might be.
Angel Theory (from The Walking Dead) plays the main character, Olivia.
And does a competent job with her performance.
However, the plot is severely lacking, in regards to quality.
Because, instead of developing the backstory of the Kinderfanger...they focus on developing the story of how Olivia went deaf.
And, while it's clear they were trying to establish her as an empathetic motherly character, despite her past (in which she killed her father, for abusing her- hence the resentment her mother shows her).
It's just not very well done.
And leaves you with a number of questions about the kinderfanger, himself.
Questions you can only answer, by knowing the legends surrounding the pied piper, and wiederganger-type characters.
Effectively, it seems like are trying to establish Olivia as a sort of reverse Pied Piper.
But, honestly...it just doesn't work.
To their credit...they make an attempt to bring this around, in the end.
But it's pretty underwhelming.
After having watched a number of impressive CryptTV short films...I fully expected this to be much better than it is.
To be fair, it's not that it doesn't make sense.
It's just bad storytelling, pure and simple.
Which is hard to appreciate, when it concerns a German folktale, in the tradition of the Grimm's.
So, whereas it might not be totally unwatchable.
It's certainly not very good either.
Definitely falling short on what it could have been.
2.5 out of 10.
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