Children of the Corn

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Children of the Corn

R

Released Mar 9, 1984

1h 33m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

39%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

40%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

As physician Burt Stanton (Peter Horton) and his girlfriend, Vicky (Linda Hamilton), drive across the Midwest to his new job, their trip comes to a sudden halt when they encounter the body of a murdered boy in the road. In trying to contact the authorities, Burt and Vicky wander into a small town populated only by children, followers of sinister young preacher Isaac Chroner (John Franklin). Soon the couple is fleeing the youthful fanatics, who want to sacrifice them to their demonic deity.

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Critics Consensus

Children of the Corn's strong premise and beginning gets shucked away for a kiddie thriller that runs in circles.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Descends into some hokey territory that feels quite a ways off from the original story, but the earlier chunks of the narrative manage to honor the source material and its commentaries on organized religion.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 20, 2023

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Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

Well-directed if stolid...

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 2, 2023

Full Review

Stephanie Archer

Film Inquiry

With today’s growing political environment and in its current form, the original is a terrifying depiction of real life, a timeless film that continually retains its relevance.

Oct 1, 2022

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Despite very much being a movie of its time, there is something about director Fritz Kiersch’s folk horror feature from 1984 that I still find enjoyable.

Rated: 2.5/5

Aug 19, 2022

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Alan Jones

Starburst

Tepid special effects and a really jarring twist ending go somewhat to ruin one's generally positive feelings for the overall film.

Aug 2, 2022

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A promising premise is ultimately no match for slapdash visuals effects, dunderheaded protagonists, and amateurish performances from some of the younger actors.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 2, 2021

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Tom F

Except for the guy playing Isaac, everybody involved is just phoning it in in the least interesting way.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/09/24

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Jerod S

The OG Malachi goes for the outlanders as they try to figure out what’s going on in the god-forsaken town. 10/24

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/30/24

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Joel H

Putting a child actor at the forefront of a movie is always a risky movie, so it was bold of Children of the Corn to make 90% of their cast under the age of 18. And while some of those young actors, such as Courtney Gains (Malachai), really do a good job with their role, the others are hit and miss, and the bad acting is fairly distracting. Speaking of distractions, the special effects were obviously done on a shoestring budget in the 80s. They’re very dated. However, while I had my issues with the cast, the plot, and the visuals, I somehow still enjoyed the experience of watching Children of the Corn.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/25/24

Full Review

Michael W

This horror movie was terrible. Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, Courtney Gains, John Franklin, Anne Marie McEvoy, Robby Kiger, and the rest of the cast did a terrible job in this movie. The plot of the movie was peculiar, evil, and sinister. It's about a group of children who killed their parents because a message from God told them to and kill anyone else who shows up in their town. If you haven't seen this movie yet, don't waste your time. It's not worth it. In fact, don't even think about watching this movie ever.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/13/24

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Lauren T

It had potential the first 15 minutes and then it lost it quickly.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

10/06/24

Full Review

Thom G

The premise of Children of the Corn held promise, and the film's atmosphere occasionally succeeds in evoking some sort of mystery. Everything else is remarkably... bad!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/15/24

Full Review

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Fritz Kiersch

Director

Peter Horton

Burton Stanton

Linda Hamilton

Vicky

R. G. Armstrong

Diehl

John Franklin

Isaac Chroner

Courtney Gains

Malachai

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Children of the Corn: Trailer 1

1:20

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Synopsis

As physician Burt Stanton (Peter Horton) and his girlfriend, Vicky (Linda Hamilton), drive across the Midwest to his new job, their trip comes to a sudden halt when they encounter the body of a murdered boy in the road. In trying to contact the authorities, Burt and Vicky wander into a small town populated only by children, followers of sinister young preacher Isaac Chroner (John Franklin). Soon the couple is fleeing the youthful fanatics, who want to sacrifice them to their demonic deity.

Director: Fritz Kiersch
Producer: Terrence Kirby, Donald P. Borchers
Screenwriter: George Goldsmith, Stephen King
Distributor: Embassy Pictures, Starmaker Video, Image Entertainment Inc., New World Pictures, Anchor Bay Entertainment
Production Co: Hal Roach Studios Inc.
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 9, 1984, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2016
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.85:1)

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