Village of the Damned (1960)
-
95% of critics liked it
(22 reviews) -
57% want to see it
(6,547 ratings)
Something is seriously amiss in the tiny British village of Midwich. At 11 a.m. one morning, every village resident suddenly falls asleep -- and then, just as suddenly, everyone wakes up, completely unaffected by the phenomenon. Well, not completely: virtually every woman of childbearing years has… More Something is seriously amiss in the tiny British village of Midwich. At 11 a.m. one morning, every village resident suddenly falls asleep -- and then, just as suddenly, everyone wakes up, completely unaffected by the phenomenon. Well, not completely: virtually every woman of childbearing years has become pregnant. All the babies are born on the same night, at precisely the same moment. All look the same, weigh the same, and even have the same curious cross-hatched hair and underdeveloped fingernails. Four years later, the children have all prematurely reached the age of nine or so -- and all behave in a weird, conspiratorial manner, comporting themselves more like adults than kids. Resident scientist George Sanders, one of the fathers, surmises that the bizarre manner of the children -- from their zombie-like movements to their cold, staring eyes -- is the result of radioactivity, possibly extraterrestrial in nature. One thing is certain: the children possess powers far beyond those of ordinary mortals. And they must be stopped. One of the most influential science fiction films of the 1960s, Village of the Damned was based on the equally eerie John Wyndham novel The Midwich Cuckoos. The more explicit 1995 remake was widely panned in comparison. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Wolf Rilla
- Written By
- John Wyndham, Stirling Silliphant
- Genres
- Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Critic Reviews
-
, TIME Magazine
Village is one of the neatest little horror pictures produced since Peter Lorre went straight.
-
Variety Staff, Variety
This just tapers off from a taut beginning into soggy melodrama.
-
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
A strong and subtle horror film from England.
-
, Time Out
The atmosphere and pace are superbly handled, and the performances of the sinister, inhumanly intelligent 'children' never falter.
-
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Commie infiltrators? Bastard aliens? Advertisements for the pill?
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
Cast
-
George Sanders
as Gordon Zellaby
-
Barbara Shelley
as Anthea Zellaby
-
Martin Stephens
as David Zellaby
-
Laurence Naismith
as Dr. Willers
-
Michael Gwynn
as Maj. Alan Bernard
-
John Phillips
as Gen. Leighton
-
Rick Warner
as Mr. Harrington
-
Richard Vernon
as Sir Edgar Hargreaves
-
Jenny Laird
as Mrs. Harrington
-
Thomas Heathcote
as James Pawle
-
Charlotte Mitchell
as Janet Pawle
-
Rosamond Greenwood
as Miss Ogle
-
Susan Richards
as Mrs. Plumpton
-
Bernard Archard
as Vicar
-
Peter Vaughan
as Police Constable Gobbey
-
Alexander Archdale
as Coroner
-
Diane Aubrey
as W.R.A.C. Secretary
-
Tom Bowman
as Pilot
- Michael C. Goetz
-
Robert Marks
as The Village Children
-
Gerald Paris
as Sapper
-
Keith Pyott
as Dr. Carlisle
-
Sheila Robbins
as Nurse
-
John Stuart
as Prof. Smith
-
Paul Norman (II)
as The Village Children
-
John Bush
as The Village Children
-
John Kelly
as The Children
-
Peter Taylor
as The Children
-
Brian Smith
as The Village Children