The Guardian (1990)

14% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
41% of users liked it
(4,656 ratings)

The Exorcist director William Friedkin made a return to the horror genre with this blend of straightforward suspense and Druid myth-inspired horror-fantasy. The idyllic lives of yuppie couple Phil and Kate (Dwier Brown and Carey Lowell) seem complete when they select the winsome young Camilla (Jenny… More The Exorcist director William Friedkin made a return to the horror genre with this blend of straightforward suspense and Druid myth-inspired horror-fantasy. The idyllic lives of yuppie couple Phil and Kate (Dwier Brown and Carey Lowell) seem complete when they select the winsome young Camilla (Jenny Seagrove) as a live-in nanny for their newborn child, but the lovely young Camilla -- whose natural sexuality begins to work its spell on Phil -- is not what she appears to be. This becomes shockingly apparent to the audience early in the story when she is set upon by a trio of rape-minded thugs who meet with a particularly nasty fate in the woods, but it seems to take the parents much longer to come to the same conclusion. In fact, the woods are the key to the entire equation, as Camilla is revealed to be a powerful forest entity from Druid mythology who intends to sacrifice her infant charge to a hideous tree-god. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: William Friedkin
Written By: Stephen Volk, William Friedkin
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Horror

In Theaters: Apr 27, 1990 Wide
On DVD: Oct 12, 1999

Critic Reviews

Calvin Baxter, SFX Magazine
Plenty of bark, but not much bite.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Admittedly, it doesn't seem like one that Friedkin put his heart and soul into, but it still has some of his touches, and it's too interesting to write off completely.
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily
A dumb horror film that's down there with Deal of the Century as one of Friedkin's worst efforts.
Gregory Weinkauf, ÜberCiné
Friedkin here seems strangely determined to squander his talent; lots of wasted opportunities.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Absolutely hysterical. Unfortunately, it's supposed to be scary

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lafe F

A cool movie. I really like the trailer. Less exciting is the actual movie, which is decent enough, with a tree spirit posing as a nanny to capture babies. There are great creature attacks in the forest. Mild horror.
Dean M

What a shocking and horror of haunting tree and the nanny. It's hard to decide who gives the most wooden performance in this ludicrous load of poppycock, Jenny Seagrove or the tree?