The Town that Dreaded Sundown

"In 1946, a mysterious hooded killer terrorised Texarkana. In 1976, he was immortalised in the silver screen. Now, the maniac is back…"

2014 1h 25m EN

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5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 557

ThrillerHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A masked maniac terrorizes the same small community where a murderer known as the Phantom Killer struck decades earlier.

“In 1946, a mysterious hooded killer terrorised Texarkana. In 1976, he was immortalised in the silver screen. Now, the maniac is back…”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Addison Timlin
Jami
Veronica Cartwright
Lillian
Travis Tope
Nick
Anthony Anderson
Lone Wolf Morales
Joshua Leonard
Deputy Foster
Denis O'Hare
Charles B. Pierce, Jr.
Spencer Treat Clark
Corey
Andy Abele
Sackhead

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Writers: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Earl E. Smith
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

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 12 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Town That Dreaded Sundown Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, shot by Michael Goi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Addison Timlin and Veronica Cartwright and Travis Tope carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In 1946, a mysterious hooded killer terrorised Texarkana. In 1976, he was immortalised in the silver screen. Now, the maniac is back…".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon directs. Michael Goi behind the camera. Ludwig Göransson scores. Joe Leonard cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 12 years ago.
3Part of the "The Town That Dreaded Sundown Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, shot by Michael Goi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Ludwig Göransson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Joe Leonard shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Addison Timlin and Veronica Cartwright and Travis Tope carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "In 1946, a mysterious hooded killer terrorised Texarkana. In 1976, he was immortalised in the silver screen. Now, the maniac is back…".
9IMDB entry: tt2561546 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Michael Goi
Original score: Ludwig Göransson
Editing: Joe Leonard
Production design: Hannah Beachler
Costume design: Stephani Lewis
Makeup / hair: Satoko Ichinose
VFX supervisor: Jason Piccioni
Sound: Brad Sherman
Stunt coordinator: Oakley Lehman
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Town that Dreaded Sundown (2014)

Part of

The Town That Dreaded Sundown Collection

The 1976 original film and the 2014 metasequel.

Also by

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2021-03-19
★ 6/10
A copycat killer is on the loose in Texarkana It has been 67 years since The Texarkana Moonlight Murders of 1946 and a new “phantom killer” surfaces with copycat attacks, usually occurring during “lovers’ lane” scenarios. “The Town that Dreaded Sundown” (2014) is not a remake of the 1976 B-flick, but rather a meta-sequel. It’s best to see the original first (if you’re not already acquainted with it) since there are so many references. This is a worthwhile companion-piece. To be expected, the filmmaking is all-around better, particularly the excellent color & cinematography, as well as the gore factor; unfortunately, the editing is sometimes too manic, like in the cornfield sequence. There’s also a bit too much sleaze for my taste, including perversion (which was at least amusing). This is basically an amalgam of the original movie with elements of “Freddy vs. Jason” (2003), the remake of “Friday the 13th” (2009) and “Scream” (1996), plus the raunchiness of “Psycho III” (1986). Addison Timlin is effective as the winsome protagonist, Jami. Meanwhile Morganna Bridgers is on hand as Kendra, a girl that’s enthusiastic about her man coming back from oversees, and Lanee Landry appears as Ardele. All three women are worthy one way or another. Veteran Veronica Cartwright even shows up. The film runs 1 hour, 26 minutes, and was shot in Texarkana on the Texas/Arkansas border, as well as Shreveport, Louisiana. GRADE: B-/C+
tmdb516161672024-09-02
★ 1/10
After viewing "The Town That Dreaded Sundown," I had high hopes for a thrilling horror movie that would keep me on the edge of my seat. However, the film turned out to be a letdown, with a twist at the end being the only moment of intrigue. The rest of the movie felt drawn-out, absurd, and uninteresting. As the plot unfolded, it became increasingly clear that the film was leading to nowhere, and the gradual decline in quality left me feeling disengaged until the final twist involving the murderer. Despite some horror elements being teased throughout, they failed to deliver any significant impact, leaving the viewer with a sense of unfulfilled expectations. Additionally, the film relied heavily on sexual themes that felt unnecessary and out of place. Overall, "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" failed to live up to its potential as a captivating horror movie and instead ended up being a disappointing and unsatisfying watch.