Sometimes They Come Back

R

1991

1h 37m

Horror

List

67%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

61%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

High school teacher Jim Norman (Tim Matheson) reluctantly returns to his hometown with his wife (Brooke Adams) to pursue a job. Jim is haunted by the childhood memory of his brother being murdered by a group of teenagers, who were then struck by a train before they could kill him, too. To Jim's horror, he finds that the teenagers have returned to town as they appeared before they died, and are transferring into his class. When his students start dying off, Jim becomes the prime suspect.

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Critics Consensus

Tim Matheson's gripping performance and a strong mood make Sometimes They Come Back an effective, if not wholly revelatory, Stephen King adaptation.

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John J. O'Connor

New York Times

The conventions and gimmicks of the supernatural genre remain remarkably stable.

Jan 15, 2020

Full Review

Ray Loynd

Los Angeles Times

The show is a tight, moody work, just the ticket with a glass of hot milk to tide you over the noises outside your house.

Jan 15, 2020

Full Review

Ken Tucker

Entertainment Weekly

[Tim] Matheson's performance is truly moving, and the drama of Sometimes They Come Back is stronger stuff than most TV movies.

Rated: B+

Jan 15, 2020

Full Review

David Hiltbrand

People Magazine

The dramatic moments in between the frights are flabby. But director Tom McLoughlin keeps the essential concept lashed together pretty tightly.

Rated: B

Jan 15, 2020

Full Review

Brandon Ciampaglia

IGN DVD

Sometimes They Come Back is a film that had the potential for greatness but never really seemed to get on track. The acting was solid, the special effects were effective, but it was the story that never caught on.

Rated: 2/10

Jan 15, 2020

Full Review

David Zurawik

Baltimore Sun

This is Grade "B" Stephen King with nothing-special special effects. There is only one shocking monster-face and no creepy-crawlies.

Jan 15, 2020

Full Review

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Regina P

Well... I'm sure it passed the time well enough back when it was made.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/01/24

Full Review

David R

I'm surprised. I was expecting a complete dud (but, yeah, I still watched), but was pleasantly surprised with an "ok" movie. Kinda fun "back-from-the-dead" premise and Tim Matheson's character's apparent "emotional issues." A good popcorn muncher movie. Nothing more.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/04/23

Full Review

Sonny B

I've seen this movie a few times and have always enjoyed it. In comparison to other Stephen King's other film adaptations, I'd say it is most like Christine or Stand by Me in its tone. It may be a made for TV movie but it is so much better than the perception of such a film. An 80's Lost Boys/American Werewolf in London type film, with good performances, settings and characters; I give this film 4/5.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

After 30 years it still holds up as a good watch as one of my favorite Stephen King adaptations I remember watching it a few years back Tim Matheson is high school teacher Jim Norman He comes back with his wife, Sally and son, Scott to his hometown which sadly he lost his brother to some teenage bullies All of them died in a train accident in their car and it still haunts Jim to this day But it gets worse when he starts teaching at the school 3 students resemble the ones who attacked him as a kid These youths have come back to haunt him and torture him as payback More-so they appear normal to everyone else making Jim look crazy while also implicating him when his other students start dying off Can he stop these malevolent spirits and send them back to hell? I like Tim Matheson and the mood of the film works Had no clue it aired on CBS, of course they did make significant changes from the short story to make it less depressing Stephen King knows how to prey on the innocent and it's an example of how running from the past can be painful and terrifying This is the only good film which sadly was followed by two sub-par sequels

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/08/23

Full Review

Steve D

Better than the others but nothing special,

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not the best nor the worst Stephen King adaptation. Worth a watch for any fan of the genre.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

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Tom McLoughlin

Director

Tim Matheson

Jim Norman

Brooke Adams

Sally Norman

William Sanderson

Carl Mueller

Robert Gorman

Scott Norman

Robert Rusler

Richard Lawson

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Synopsis

High school teacher Jim Norman (Tim Matheson) reluctantly returns to his hometown with his wife (Brooke Adams) to pursue a job. Jim is haunted by the childhood memory of his brother being murdered by a group of teenagers, who were then struck by a train before they could kill him, too. To Jim's horror, he finds that the teenagers have returned to town as they appeared before they died, and are transferring into his class. When his students start dying off, Jim becomes the prime suspect.

Director: Tom McLoughlin
Screenwriter: Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal
Production Co: Dino de Laurentiis Corp., Paradise Films
Rating: R, TV-PG
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 37m

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