Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Sometimes They Come Back

Play trailer Poster for Sometimes They Come Back R 1991 1h 37m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
67% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
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.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Sometimes They Come Back

Sometimes They Come Back

What to Know

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
John J. O'Connor New York Times 01/15/2020
The conventions and gimmicks of the supernatural genre remain remarkably stable. Go to Full Review Ray Loynd Los Angeles Times 01/15/2020
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. Go to Full Review Ken Tucker Entertainment Weekly 01/15/2020
B+
[Tim] Matheson's performance is truly moving, and the drama of Sometimes They Come Back is stronger stuff than most TV movies. Go to Full Review David Hiltbrand People Magazine 01/15/2020
B
The dramatic moments in between the frights are flabby. But director Tom McLoughlin keeps the essential concept lashed together pretty tightly. Go to Full Review Brandon Ciampaglia IGN DVD 01/15/2020
2/10
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. Go to Full Review David Zurawik Baltimore Sun 01/15/2020
This is Grade "B" Stephen King with nothing-special special effects. There is only one shocking monster-face and no creepy-crawlies. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
thiago s @Thiagostone Sep 16 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas de terror são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Dwayne W Jun 17 Matheson's performance is truly moving, and the drama of Sometimes They Come Back is stronger stuff than most TV movies. See more Horror fan 4 Dec 23 One of the greatest Stephen king adaptations ever!!! Tim Matheson gives a stellar performance. Tim Treakle See more Terry C Dec 21 Stephen King book adaptations to screen are tough I’m sure we’ve learned… that’s not the authors fault. Please judge Mr. King on the source material, not what corporations make of it. That said, I loved this movie for what it was. A man with a troubled past is forced to deal with that past in a supernatural way. Great acting by Tim Matheson of Animal House fame, and a good popcorn flick. Give it a shot on a night where you can’t decide what else to watch. See more Garvis W 12/12/2024 movies like this are the reason I really hate stephen king. it's hard to believe this drivel was written by the same guy who did the Shawshank Redemption and the Green Mile. the boomer punk switchblade bully cliché is strong with this one See more Farah R @Farah 05/30/2024 It's certainly not the best Stephen King adaptation, but Sometimes They Come Back is one of the better ones. The story is emotional, and the performances give prominence to its depth. Overall, it's enjoyable enough for passing time. See more Read all reviews
Sometimes They Come Back

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All

Tom McLoughlin

Director

Tim Matheson

Jim Norman

Brooke Adams

Sally Norman

William Sanderson

Carl Mueller

Robert Gorman

Scott Norman

Robert Rusler

Richard Lawson

More Like This

View All
Firestarter 40% 52% Firestarter Watchlist Pet Sematary Two 21% 31% Pet Sematary Two Watchlist Mister Frost 33% 63% Mister Frost Watchlist Dr. Giggles 23% 42% Dr. Giggles Watchlist Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan 11% 26% Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan Watchlist TRAILER for Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Sometimes They Come Back

Sometimes They Come Back (1991) Sometimes They Come Back (1991) Sometimes They Come Back (1991) View more photos

Movie Info

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
Producer
Michael S. Murphey
Screenwriter
Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal
Production Co
Paradise Films, Dino de Laurentiis Corp.
Rating
R, TV-PG
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Runtime
1h 37m
Most Popular at Home Now