Oh, The Horror! # 6: The Bad Seed

You know how you have a family member who everyone loves and adores because he or she is so darn perfect with a perfect smile but deep down inside he or she is really a cold blooded killer? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about, all of us has that one family member. Well, this movie basically tells the tale of a mother whose loving husband had gone away to military duty and is left with their perfect and adoring daughter, Rhoda. At the beginning we see that dear Rhoda is upset at losing a school contest to a classmate. Later, we find out that the kid had drowned and Rhoda shows no sign of puzzlement or sadness. This starts the downward spiral as the mother starts to suspect her daughter of killing the boy as more deaths start to happen to help her enforce that theory. This then lies the mystery of just how does a mother deal with a child killer of only 8 years old and what does she do as a mother who loves her child and at the same time in turmoil over the victims. There's a lot more to the story that is revealed but it's a little hard to discuss it and not spoil the movie. It's definitely a movie that holds up really well and is worth a watch. I had the DVD for quite a month or so and finally watched it with a best friend of mine. I must say, though, that the ending came up as a rather shocking surprise. While my friend had her hand to her mouth, I gave out a huge laugh and could not stop as my friend's mouth was wide for a good few minutes after it ended.

The performances are stellar! Patty McCormack as "innocent" Rhoda is engaging to watch as she walks around as the spoiled brat you'd want to to beat down with a leather belt if she were your child. Nany Kelly as Christine is as engaging as McCormack, really showcasing fantastic acting of a mother being driven insane by her daughter's actions. The actress who really steals a bit of the show is Eileen Heckart who plays Mrs. Daigle, the drunk mother of the child who Rhoda kills.

For the pour souls who have yet to see this movie, do check it out. It is worth the watch and I as I've mentioned before, it holds up well. Shows us that we don't need a supernatural element to prove that a child can be downright evil and creepy.