The Bad Seed

1956 • 129 minutes
4.8
173 reviews
63%
Tomatometer
Eligible
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About this movie

Young Patty McCormack received an Oscar nomination for her performance as a murderous child in this chilling drama classic. Based on the play by Maxwell Anderson ("Anne of the Thousand Days"), it's an eerie examination of the question of nature versus nurture in the form of a little girl who is evil personified. Leonard Maltin calls it "spellbinding"! MPAA Rating: NOTRATED c) 1956 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Ratings and reviews

4.8
173 reviews
Jill P. “Reyna'h Jahe'” Mosely
January 18, 2014
This Play House 27 movie was one of my all time favorites. Nancy Kelly and Patti McCormick, co staring Henry Jones and Eileen Heckert was one of the craziest and funniest movies in the Play House 27 History. This kid was simply infused with evil and a deranged,demented personality. Fixing a place up on the roof for Aunt Monica...closing £eroy in the incenarator to burn up and beating that little boy Clyde Danco with that half moon shape creek on those shoes was just astounding.
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Christopher Quinlan
February 2, 2014
This adaption of the Broadway play boasts some great performances and tense moments, all while using a minimal amount of set changes and practical effects. Little Patty McCormick is perfect as the evil, vindictive Rhoda. Unfortunately, it has a cheese-ball ending on account of stipulations provided by the Hayes code's censorship, which undermines the understated eeriness and tragedy of the original. Still a creepy little macabre thriller.
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Nancy Morrison
March 4, 2015
I saw this movie years ago, as a teen and it scared the heck out of me. For the first time in my life, I felt that this girl needed to die. Now, I know about karma. Movie was well done without the present day gore. Actors really made the characters beleievable. Highly recommend for serious thrill watchers. Brrrrrrr!
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