The Bad Seed (1956)

People are voting emotionally.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The movie " The Bad Seed" of 1956 directed by Mervyn LeRoy is a quite a fascinating movie. It is a very original horror/drama. Patty Mc Cormack was most definitely one of the best characters. Her performance was really goods the villain in my opinion. I think this movie could be one of the best child performances I have ever encountered. I also thought that Nancy Kelly had a great role as mother in this film. Evelyn Warden fits perfectly in her role. Ellen Heckart as the murdered boys drunk mother stole the show. Her acting was also superb.This film was a little stagy in some aspect, however it really didn't effect the film in a bad way. If anything it actually kind of enhanced the atmosphere in my opinion.This film had great suspense towards the end of it. It thought it reached new depths of of oddity and lead up to a pretty predictable ended. every mystery was was revealed one after another. I could see this movie being re-made at some point. I think it would be interesting to watch with the effects we have in today's world.I would rate this movie as a 7/10 it wasn't too bad

Nature or nurture? Can a person be born evil or is wickedness always the result of a bad upbringing? These are the questions that arise as 8-year-old Rhoda (Patty McCormack) proceeds to bump off anyone who gets in her way.The first few scenes of The Bad Seed drip with an exaggerated saccharine sweetness that is difficult to stomach ("What will you give me for a basket of kisses?" asks Rhoda; "A basket of kisses? Why, I'll give you a basket of hugs!" comes her father's reply). Some might believe that director Mervyn LeRoy was deliberately aiming for high camp. Others have surmised that the over the top theatricality was the result of a stage cast unused to performing in front of a camera.Another possibility, and one that I he subscribe to, is that LeRoy intended for the excessive fawning of his central family to catch his audience off-guard, the cloying sentimentality at complete odds with the harrowing emotional pain and suffering later endured by those most affected by Rhoda's unspeakable acts. It certainly had that effect on me, the breakdown of Rhoda's mother (Nancy Kelly) and the anguish of Mrs. Daigle (Eileen Heckart), mother of dead child Claude, coming as quite a shock given how unbearably happy everyone is at the start of the film.Extremely daring for the day, the film not only deals with the touchy subject of child murderers (rare, but not unheard of), but also depression, mental breakdown, alcoholism, and suicide, ultimately making it quite the traumatic experience despite the staginess of the acting. It also manages to deliver not one, but two twist endings, the first very effective, the second bloody ridiculous, but oh so entertaining. And to cap it all off, we get a cast call that sees each performer taking a bow, closing with Kelly putting McCormack over her knee and giving her a good spanking. WTF?!?!

THE BAD SEED is a horror drama created in the noir atmosphere. Below the exaggerated melodrama and somewhat inconclusive hysteria there is pretty good horror story conceived.The Penmarks are an average and happy American family. Mr. Penmark is a military man. He often leaves the family due to work. Mrs. Penmark and their little daughter remain at home and enjoy with neighbors and relatives. However, people begin to die under mysterious circumstances near the small and popular girl ....This horror can be seen as a big mischief. Therefore, if the crime is nice, it is difficult to accept the tragic death. Perception and perspective of a psychopathic child are quite intriguing and morbid. Some scenes look really scary, but the behavior of the protagonists in relation to the crime is pretty funny.Is horror in this story the result of major fraud in the past, or a simple coincidence? I think that's the real question that we did not get a valid response.Of course, the film has touched a topic related to antisocial personality disorder which could be characterized as a positive review. Despite a very deficient script, characterization is pretty good.Nancy Kelly as Christine Penmark is a big sacrifice of demons of the past and the horror that her own child causes. A mother who is infatuated, angry and murk resorts to a fatalistic act. Patty McCormack as Rhoda Penmark is an eight year old girl and the central figure in this film. I think her performance is very serious. One problematic child from the beginning to the end of the film. The attempt to present her character as innocent and playful is one of the flaws in this film.Eileen Heckart as Hortense Daigle is the mother of a boy who drowned. A woman who is devastated by the pain and sadness. Her performance is, to say at least, confusing, given the strange expression of jealousy and her comic drunkenness. Evelyn Varden as Monica Breedlove is a neighbor that with a lot of effort supports the apparent "farce". Henry Jones as Leroy Jessup is one scoundrel who plays with "fire".The story is not sincere. The end of the film is not ironic, on the contrary, the end is kind of happy.

When I initially read the description of this film I was not interested in it what so ever. But, I gave the film a chance and boy was I surprised. The film is about a young girl suspected by her parents, of killing one of her classmates from school The Bad Seed uses great camera angles, fast quick transitions, and excellent camera work to really bring this film alive. I felt Patty McCormack did an outstanding job playing Rhonda. As I watched the film you could feel the grasp that Rhonda had over the entire family. Her short tempered, dark, outraged attitude was acted out very well in my opinion. Melvin LeRoy being the director of the Wizard of Oz, i felt took on a out of his comfort zone challenge by directing this film. If you ask me, I think it payed off very well. Great film from beginning to end.