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Bad Ronald

Play trailer Poster for Bad Ronald 1974 1h 14m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A family moves into a Victorian house, unaware of a secret room hiding a teenage killer (Scott Jacoby).

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Bad Ronald

Critics Reviews

View All (6) Critics Reviews
Paul Lê Bloody Disgusting There is no doubt that movies made since then have been affected, directly or otherwise, by Bad Ronald. Rated: 4/5 Oct 8, 2024 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy The '70s was a fertile breeding ground for ominous made-for-television movies that continue to stumble around in the minds of those who came of age during that decade. Bad Ronald is one such endeavor. Rated: 3/4 Mar 14, 2019 Full Review John Beifuss Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) Offers a non-supernatural variation on the idea that something sinister haunts the conventional family home, lurking within the walls and behind the 'normal' furnishings -- and relationships. Rated: 3/4 Sep 16, 2011 Full Review Ryan Cracknell Movie Views Although it's hampered by rushed pacing and some plot contrivances, Bad Ronald isn't actually that bad. Sep 27, 2009 Full Review Daniel M. Kimmel Worcester Telegram & Gazette Rated: 3/5 May 14, 2004 Full Review Frank Swietek One Guy's Opinion Rated: 2/5 Dec 23, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (62) audience reviews
Trieva P Bad Ronald is my favorite made for TV movie. I've seen it so many times I almost know it word for word. The acting is great and the story super interesting and original. Lots of memorable scenes and lines. Mother! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Surprisingly tense for a 70s TV movie. The whole story gets fast forwarded a little, but it's genuinely creepy, with the whole terror silently hiding in the walls angle. Really goes a long way to attack the facade of the tranquil suburban family home. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/11/21 Full Review Audience Member This film is brilliant, okay the acting isnt the best, but the story makes up for it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member You wouldn't expect a TV movie from the mid-70s to be this creepy and unsettling, but it succeeds. Scott Jacoby does a good job as Ronald, making him seem like a poor pathetic loser one minute and a crazed maniac the next and never breaking stride. If you can hunt this down, you're in for a blood free but nevertheless terrifying good time. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member Bad Ronald came out when TV movies were a new thing, so it's possible that the genre wasn't as developed as it is today. However, that is no excuse to pardon the movie's flaws. It's silly, yet dark at the same time, and is extremely quirky in eccentric ways. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Bad Ronald is a sanitized made-for-TV movie from 1974 about a young guy who must hide in the walls from the police, at the insistence of his mother, when he accidentally kills a young girl. After his mother's death, he stays in the walls and terrorizes the people who move in. The film was based on a novel that was quite graphic, so the TV version of it was watered down. That being said, there's some really weird stuff in there. Unfortunately, there's way too much sympathy for Ronald's character for him to be an effective threat later in the movie. He eventually goes insane and becomes obsessed with his made up world of princes and princesses, but ultimately, you still feel sorry for him. The main problem, or should I say problems, with the movie, is the number of plot holes and logical questions that you're constantly asking yourself throughout it. The main one is 'why doesn't Ronald just leave the house when he learns that his mother has died?' Regardless, it still has some atmosphere to it, but it's not really that effective. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A family moves into a Victorian house, unaware of a secret room hiding a teenage killer (Scott Jacoby).
Director
Buzz Kulik
Producer
Philip Capice
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 18, 2009
Runtime
1h 14m
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