Critic Reviews

Village of the Damned (1960) Rank 5 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Village of the Damned (1960) a score of 2.9232 out of 4

based on (19) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(3)

Very Good

(15)

Good

(1)

Fair

(0)

Poor

(0)

Reviews by Score:

Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

A splendid sci-fi film adapted by director Wolf Rilla from John Wyndham's novel The Midwich Cuckoos. What seemed to be missing from the book, were the cuckoos. It was made for under $300,000, and the film's only recognized star at the time was the suave ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

filmcritic.com (Jake Euker)

The creepiest moment in the recent horror film Godsend – maybe the only creepy moment – occurs when the boy around whom the action is centered informs his father, in a steady, vaguely threatening voice, that he doesn’t think he likes ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at filmcritic.com (Jake Euker)

SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

This fine adaption of John Wyndham's 1957 novel is one of the few successful attempts at translating the paranoia of 1950s American sf across the Atlantic. The fear of takeover in American films like It Came from Outer Space (1953), Invaders from Mars ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

filmcritic.com

It's a good thing, then, that these same grown-ups weren't around in the British village of Midwich circa 1950. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at filmcritic.com

DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")

The realm of horror cinema is all about shock these days, as few films focus on atmosphere and tension. The focus is instead on bloodshed, graphic violence, and naked women. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")

Film Freak Central (Walter Chaw)

It's a humanist piece--no lightning bolt restores this society, just the cool light of right reason. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Film Freak Central (Walter Chaw)

Horror.com DVD review (Staci Layne Wilson)

Despite a rather talky interlude, Village of the Damned succeeds as an eerie sci-fi that stands the test of time. Some of the paranoid political shading may be lost on less-informed viewers, but that knowledge is not necessary to fully enjoy the film. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Horror.com DVD review (Staci Layne Wilson)

Entertainment Insiders ("Wearysloth")

The beauty of this film, is that it is very, very understated. All the protagonists behave very calmly, nobody gets excited, the evil children are very calm and polite even when flambÃ©ing some unfortunate villager. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Entertainment Insiders ("Wearysloth")

KQEK DVD Review (Mark R. Hasan)

Based on John Wyndham's tale, "The Midwich Cuckoos," Sterling Silliphant's script lay dormant for several years when MGM felt the project carried a perceived anti-Catholic view during the conservative 50s. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at KQEK DVD Review (Mark R. Hasan)

Dvddrive-in

The tense final confrontation between brave Zellaby (a wonderful performance by Sanders) and the children of the damned is one of the finest underplayed moments in horror/science fiction cinema. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Dvddrive-in

Harvey's Movie Review (Harvey O'Brien)

Some elements of a convincing reality are present: the scene where a husband who has been at sea for a year sits and seethes as we realise he has discovered his wife's pregnancy and suspects infidelity; a man escorts his young daughter to a mobile clinic ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Harvey's Movie Review (Harvey O'Brien)

Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)

Considered a sci-fi horror classic today, Village of the Damned may not be particularly scary by modern standards, but still warrants a viewing because of some eerily opening effective scenes and its atmospheric Black & White photography. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)

not coming to a theater near you (Jason Woloski)

Another strong conservative element in the film is that of a sexual nature, and more specifically of female sexuality. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at not coming to a theater near you (Jason Woloski)

Movie Magazine International

The opening shots are beautifully done: The inhabitants of the quiet village of Midwich simply fall asleep mid-activity. The military gets wind of the unexpected afternoon siesta and, predictably, botch the investigation. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Movie Magazine International

Foster on Film - Aliens

At first he appears to be a physicist, but he studies plants and works with the doctor on the women's pregnancies. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Foster on Film - Aliens

Classic Horror

The crux of Village of the Damned is the mystery of the children. Their eyes are intense and hypnotizing, they develop at an obviously accelerated pace-both mentally and physically. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Classic Horror

Britmovie

Wolf Rilla's Village of the Damned, apart from some trimming of minor characters and slight amendments to the plot for dramatic reasons, remains faithful to The Midwich Cuckoos. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at Britmovie

eFilmCritic Reviews

The pregnancies are far from "normal." The fetuses grow at an accelerated rate, the children are born almost simultaneously, and when born, share certain physical characteristics, including blond hair and, when perplexed, glowing eyes. ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at eFilmCritic Reviews

BFi screenonline (Kim Newman)

The first half covers the Midwich blackout, so the business with the children - which takes place over years of plot-time - is sometimes a little rushed. There are a lot of secondary characters to cope with and the splendid Barbara Shelley (most caring ...read the complete Village of the Damned movie review at BFi screenonline (Kim Newman)

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