Destry Spielberg Carves Her Path in Horror—With Applause, Tears, and Criticism
Imagine being the daughter of Steven Spielberg—arguably one of the most celebrated directors in history—and then stepping into the same field. That’s exactly what Destry Allyn Spielberg has done, and her directorial debut, Please Don’t Feed the Children , is turning heads, stirring critiques, and fueling conversations all across the industry.
Destry, now 28, premiered her post-apocalyptic horror film in the most intimate way possible—at home, with her famous family. Screening it in the Spielberg living room, which she describes as practically a theater with its top-notch sound system, was a surreal moment for her. “It was crazy,” she admitted. “I watched my movie with them, and just looked around thinking, ‘This is so weird.’” Her parents, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, were beaming with pride. Her brother Sawyer? In tears.
But the film, now streaming on Tubi, has received mixed to harsh reviews from critics. While some have called out issues with pacing and direction, others praised Destry’s flair for mood and atmosphere. Fangoria highlighted her “dexterous understanding of technique, genre convention, and emotional nuance,” while others—like IGN—were far less forgiving, criticizing the screenplay and her direction as lacking experience. Still, it’s worth noting that filmmaking debuts, especially in horror, often divide opinion. And Destry’s ambition to cast fresh talent and call out Hollywood’s exclusivity shows her willingness to shake things up.
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The movie itself plays like a nightmarish fairy tale: a group of children in a world ravaged by a pandemic that wiped out adults find sanctuary in the home of a seemingly kind woman—played by Michelle Dockery—who turns out to be terrifyingly twisted. With shades of Children of Men and Coraline , the story merges dread with dark beauty, something Destry clearly drew from her lifelong love of horror. Her earliest horror memory? Accidentally listening to The Shining ’s haunting score from her upstairs bedroom, forbidden to watch it but unable to escape its pull. When she finally saw the film years later in school, it changed everything. She watched it five times in one week, sparking her obsession with cinematic history and craft.
What’s particularly compelling is that Destry never planned to be a director. A serious equestrian for years, her career path changed after an injury at 19. What followed was a period of uncertainty, mental health struggles, and eventually a turn to comedy, acting, and ultimately directing. Her first short film, Let Me Go (The Right Way) , penned by Stephen King’s son, Owen King, received acclaim, but even then, Destry wasn’t sure horror was her genre. Now, with this debut, she’s claiming that space.
Destry’s name may carry cinematic weight, but she’s quick to acknowledge the privilege she’s born with—while insisting she’s working hard to carve her own way. “People can argue nepotism,” she once wrote, “but I know deep down that I worked hard to get where I am.” And she’s using her platform to amplify new talent. Her mission, as she puts it, is to break down barriers in a notoriously insular industry.
From acting to directing, from therapy dogs on set to emotional movie nights at home, Destry Spielberg is walking a path that blends legacy with individuality. Critics may still be figuring out how to categorize her, but one thing’s clear: she’s not backing down. In fact, she’s already gearing up to direct her next feature—a murder mystery. Whether the world sees her as a “nepo baby” or a rising auteur, Destry is proving she’s not just riding her father’s coattails—she’s learning, evolving, and telling stories that are uniquely her own.
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