Movie

The Bad Seed

1956 · 129 min

A slow-burning, unsettling portrait of a mother's dawning horror, with theatrical performances and a pervasive sense of dread.

Tagline: Talk all you want about the man and the woman -- but please don't tell about the girl!
Overview: Air Force Colonel Kenneth Penmark and his wife, Christine, adore their daughter Rhoda, despite her secret tendency for selfishness. Christine keeps her knowledge of her daughter's darker side to herself, but when a schoolmate of Rhoda's dies mysteriously, her self-deception unravels.
How it feels: Dark, tense, melancholic and campy. Measured and needs your attention.
About: Family, deception, guilt, morality
Content: Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.
Note: Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Add to a list: The Bad Seed

Free in the US

More options Data from JustWatch

In your watch list

In this series

The Bad Seed - Collection

Like The Bad Seed, but

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Full breakdown

Tone: darkstrength 3 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 2 of 3
campystrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: family
deception
guilt
morality
identity
Places: home
small town
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: single location
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex none