Village of the Damned

"Beware the children."

1995 1h 38m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🥫

28%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.6

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 961🥫28%Rotten Tomatoes●41Metacritic★5.6IMDB · 35,689

ThrillerHorrorScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An American village is visited by some unknown life form which leaves the women of the village pregnant. Nine months later, the babies are born, and they all look normal, but it doesn't take the "parents" long to realize that the kids are not human or humane.

“Beware the children.”

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Cast

Christopher Reeve
Alan Chaffee
Kirstie Alley
Susan Verner
Linda Kozlowski
Jill McGowan
Michael Paré
Frank McGowan
Meredith Salenger
Melanie Roberts
Mark Hamill
Reverend George
Pippa Pearthree
Sarah
Peter Jason
Ben Blum

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Carpenter
Writers: David Himmelstein
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 43% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Carpenter, shot by Gary B. Kibbe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dave Davies. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Edward A. Warschilka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Christopher Reeve and Kirstie Alley and Linda Kozlowski carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Beware the children.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0114852 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Carpenter directs. Gary B. Kibbe behind the camera. Dave Davies scores. Edward A. Warschilka cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 43% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
231 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by John Carpenter, shot by Gary B. Kibbe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Dave Davies. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Edward A. Warschilka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Christopher Reeve and Kirstie Alley and Linda Kozlowski carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Beware the children.".
8IMDB entry: tt0114852 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 27 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Gary B. Kibbe
Original score: Dave Davies
Editing: Edward A. Warschilka
Production design: Rodger Maus
Costume design: Robin Michel Bush
Makeup / hair: Rob Hinderstein
VFX supervisor: Bruce Nicholson
Sound: James Bolt
Stunt coordinator: Jeff Imada
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $22,000,000
Box office: $9,418,365
Return: 43% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Village of the Damned (1995)
Rotten Tomatoes: 28% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 41/100
IMDB rating: 5.6/10 · 35,689 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

3 nominations total

Also by

John Carpenter

Stills · wallpapers

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Sierbahnn2026-06-01
Carpenter builds on the original. This is a great remake of an already good movie with updated effects and fantastic casting. This production comes out looking pretty spiffy. The children are genuinely creepy and the way that they deal with their opposition is scary and very engaging. I enjoy seeing Mark in this, and with Christopher doing his last role, it is a sad bookend to his career. Not because the movie is bad, but because we miss him. The movie itself is great and I thoroughly recommend it.

Production companies