The Godsend (1980) User Reviews

A decent "killer kid" film.

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 19 October 2013]

The makers of this decent horror drama do get high marks for good intentions here. Their film does score to a degree by focusing on the human element, as the devastating effects of tragedy hit a young country dwelling couple. This couple, Alan (Malcolm Stoddard), and Kate (beautiful Cyd Hayman), already have four children of their own. They meet a mysterious, pregnant stranger (played by Angela Pleasence, the daughter of Donald P.) who gives birth in their home and promptly disappears. They keep her baby as one of their own, but their own children start dying under mysterious circumstances, starting with their infant. Alan comes to believe that the new kid, Bonnie (played at different ages by Wilhelmina Green and Joanne Boorman), is responsible, but Kate just can't accept that this adorable moppet could possibly be a danger.

This may be too slow and quiet to suit some horror fans expecting something more along the lines of "The Omen". It really does stress its dramatic elements more than anything, shying away from anything such as graphic violence. It does have a suitably eerie mood, beginning with the effectively enigmatic performance by Ms. Pleasence. The rest of the cast, including Patrick Barr as the sympathetic Dr. Collins, does fine work. Location shooting is good and atmosphere is strong but the music by Roger Webb is a little overbearing. The script is by Olaf Pooley, based on a novel by Bernard Taylor, and the film is dialogue heavy, with producer / director Gabrielle Beaumont (making her feature debut here) never rushing through the story. The ending fails to be completely satisfactory; in fact, it's kind of abrupt, but overall those genre fans who prefer subtlety may find it to their liking.

Six out of 10.

Why was adoption not an option?

[Tromafreak · 5/10 · 30 September 2009]

British Horror rocks, and that's all there is to it. British Horror certainly isn't the goriest I've come across. Maybe not the most action-packed, or the scariest, but at least some would agree that there is just something about British Horror.The Godsend is as shamefully underrated as anything I've seen from over there. This movie may be no Psychomania, and it sure ain't the masterpiece Vampyres is, but this is a good movie, nonetheless. A chillin' little British family (with far too many kids) comes across a stranded pregnant woman, who, you can tell is no good.. The unsuspecting couple lets their creepy, new friend stay over for a while, or at least long enough for her the have the kid and fly the coop before anyone notices. A problem easily solved, right? Wrong, the wife figures they don't have enough kids, already, oh, what's one more? At this point, any sensible B-Horror fan might wonder why the less-emotional man of the family doesn't just step in and at least suggest they give the little girl up for adoption, considering the other countless mouths to feed.. But if it had gone down like that, who would kill all their real kids? Not much of a Horror movie there. I take it, the pregnant woman from earlier, makes a habit of dropping off her demonic (?) offspring into the laps of unsuspecting families, although, hopefully, not all her victims are stupid enough to keep the kid. Could be wrong, but I don't think this is available on DVD yet, oh well, an old Vestron tape is good enough for me. Apparently, some compare The Godsend to The Omen. In my opinion, it's more like The Bad Seed, which, just so you know, is far superior to both The Godsend and The Omen. If you don't expect an action-packed, thrill-ride, or any type of a masterpiece, and are in the mood for some low-key, retro Horror, that doesn't require your absolute, undivided attention, you just might not hate The Godsend. Recommended to fans of British Horror, and especially killer kid flicks. 7/10

Both parents are pretty dumb aren't they?

[Aaron1375 · 6/10 · 17 February 2017]

This had to be one of the most infuriating films I have ever seen. The film never hides the fact what is going on and I have watched a lot of horror films, but even given that fact the parents in this film were downright stupid. They also displayed very little grief when they should have been the most dismayed parents in a film, ever! I know that the film was a novel and thanks to some digging I learned some things about the strange woman and her offspring that did shed some light on things. Just seems this film should of had more too it, but they kind of just lessened the load or something. It was not all bad, as it had a quite a few deaths in it and it moves along quite briskly, at least until the film shifts from the country home to the city apartment. It got a bit slow and then it got annoying and then it ended and I was just left thinking that there had to be more to what was going on than what was depicted in the film.

The story has a couple who have four children going about their day, when the mother apparently runs into a very creepy strange pregnant woman who the mother feels compelled to bring home with her. Thus, the mother does the first stupid thing in a film where she is one of the most mentally challenged characters in a horror film! Well, the strange creepy woman makes a few vague and sinister remarks and has her child before ditching in the morning. Well, the mother immediately wants to adopt the child because she really needs another child seeing as how she has three older children and an infant child to boot! Well soon after the infant son who was left alone with cute little Bonnie the newborn who has already sprouted blond hair is dead! A few years pass, and one of their older sons is dead! The other son is terrified of the kid, but the parents believe Bonnie before their own offspring! Soon, the father begins to suspect something, but by the time it begins to click for him, it is pretty much too late.

The ending to this one was a bit baffling as cute little Bonnie pushes the last remaining child out a window and to her death in front of the father, who already knew she was an evil little kid and the mother who still had doubts. Well, the father in a fit of rage wants to kill the child, but is stopped and the mother takes Bonnie's side, because her dead eyes, evil look and obviously deadly ways is just too much for a mom to resist. I just felt that this was a bit odd, as I just felt there should be more to it and that the ending was week. Turns out it was completely different from the book which has the father trying to get the kid, but the kid literally overpowers him! The husband and wife did not split up and Bonnie is taken away. She later turns up on their doorstep! There is also an explanation for the strange pregnant woman that is very bizarre, and I kind of can see why they did not go the route for a movie made in 1980.

So, I thought the film had some moments and it was a nice distraction for a little bit. However, it was also extremely annoying because that mother was so idiotic! What kind of mother latches on to a kid that is not even hers and puts said child over her own offspring? Seriously, I can see a mother liking an adopted child about the same, but the extent she latched onto Bonnie was insane. She literally got over the death of their infant son in no time, the second child also was gotten over rather quickly. I realize I watch a lot of horror films, but after the second child I would have been leery of Bonnie, heck, I never would have kept the child in the first place with my knowledge of horror films and the strange way that creepy woman was going on.

Very Faithful Adaptation...

[Magellan Grey · 28 February 2001]

I saw this film when it first came out in 1980. I enjoyed it. I also read the book and found that the movie was a very faithful adaptation. This is the kind of movie that is not high-budget, nor is it laced with overwhelming special effects. But is a very entertaining, low budget, late night "get away from it all" type of film.

these children ain't nice

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 24 August 2007]

Another movie about a seemingly cute child with a not-so-cute side; Portland's video/DVD store Movie Madness has in the horror section a whole shelf devoted to Killer Kids. In this case, a typical English family one day picks up a woman who gives birth in their house and then disappears without a trace, leaving her infant daughter with them. Sure enough, their children start getting killed. Basically a rehash of "The Bad Seed", "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Omen". Still, "The Godsend" has a neat side, as the vicious little girl makes some faces that no one would ever associate with a little girl; she did look kind of scary.

But in the grand scheme of things, there's nothing new or important about this movie. Not to mention that it ends rather abruptly. Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus produced much better movies over the years. This is the sort of flick that you rent if there's absolutely nothing else available.

It's got NOTHING to do with The Omen!

[visvivalaw · 6/10 · 10 November 2001]

This movie is not connected to, a rip off of or inspired by The Omen. Just because both happen to be about an evil child doesn't mean a thing. The Godsend is pure science fiction: what if there was a sub-species of humans who bred the same way the cuckoo does. This bird has the nasty habit of laying it's eggs in the nests of birds of other species. The baby cuckoo imitates the calls of its nestmates so the unwilling adoptive parents are none the wiser. At its first opportunity the baby cuckoo murders the other babies by pushing them out of the nest. That's what this movie was about.

The Parent Trap

[JasonXIX · 3/10 · 11 November 2020]

The only way this film works is as a black comedy. The mother and father characters are the most inept and incompetent parents in the history of movies.

One by one, their children are dying. These parents just can't be bothered to keep an eye on their kids. Finally, by the time their 5th child mysteriously dies, Mom and Dad begin to figure out that little Bonnie might be the problem. But by then it's too late, the audience has already fallen asleep.

We're all God's children... Except for that creepy blond girl!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 21 October 2007]

Well, this certainly isn't a movie I would recommend young/upcoming parents or youthful members of large families to watch! It could have quite a nightmarish impact on them, and on anyone else with an unstable nerve system for that matter. It's probably a hugely distasteful way to describe the plot, but the first half of "The Godsend" strangely resembles Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians". Kate and Alan Marlowe started out with four lovely children of their own at the beginning of the film. Then there were three, then two and so on. The number of kids alarmingly decreases because a mysterious lady gave birth to a girl in their house and then suddenly vanished without a trace. Little blond Bonnie is very cherubic, but even more morbid and dangerous, and she really doesn't get any more lovable with the age. Is Bonnie the world's youngest serial killer? Is she a child of the devil, like in the great influential classic "The Omen"? Or perhaps she's a one girl government-invented contraception campaign? Adapted from a novel, "The Godsend" is a strange and thoroughly unsettling thriller that breaks through a couple of obviously controversial topics and taboos. It's a good, memorable and mainly atmosphere-driven film, and it's probably so under-appreciated because it got released amidst a large stream of horror movies revolving on murderously wayward and devil-possessed children (all cashing in on the popularity of the aforementioned "The Omen"), like "Bloody Birthday", "The Children of Ravensbeck", "The Orphan" and "The Pit". This wicked gem is rather different to all those titles and actually quite unique in the genre all together. The story grows gradually weirder and scarier, with odd but intriguing cuckoo birds' theories and the deteriorating relationship between the once-inseparable parents. Joanne Boorman and Wilhelmina Green give away impressive performances as Bonnie (both ages). The girl's uncanny eyes are so soul-penetratingly eerie she would form the ideal puppy love interest for Damien of "The Omen" fame. Director Gabrielle Beaumont loses a bit of her grip on the story during the middle-section, resulting in some dull and overlong sequences, but the denouement is again suitably raw and 100% relentless. Definitely not a film – as stated before – for sensitive people. Despite the harrowing and deeply uncomfortable subject matter, the production values remain extremely British at all times, meaning eloquent and sophisticated dialogs, stylish camera-work and nifty set pieces. A very remarkable and impressive film.

Her Bonnie would lie over the ocean if it would sink ships.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 18 October 2021]

Meet Bonnie Dearest, an evil young Christina Crawford lookalike who is allegedly murdering the older children of her adoptive parents (Malcolm Stoddard and Cyd Hayman) who took her in after the real mother (Angela Pleasance) abandons them. The parents barely even grieve their other children and it takes forever for them to suspect that Bonnie would curse Scotland as she turns into a dragon let alone be responsible for killing off her adopted siblings.

A British horror film that suffers from lack of a cast of familiar actors, that does actually benefited because at least you're not distracted by star quality and get to see seemingly real people in a horrific situation. But these seemingly ordinary people are dumber than a field of lavender, which Bonnie has turned into poppies, and that makes this movie both frustrating and slow because the horror going on is barely insinuated even though it's obviously there.

Some great location shots, particularly the site of a crumbling castle, aids this film in seeming better than it really is. Yes, we do see the parents in shock after the first few horrific situations, but then again they are gallivanting around minutes later as if nothing happened. There really isn't any suspense, and while the performances are decent, they are affected by the very slow pacing and poor script. Occult films like this are a dime of dozen from this era, and this is one of the weakest even if it isn't terrible.

"Hello... social services..."

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 17 October 2019]

While on a country walk, the Marlowe family -- mother Kate (Cyd Hayman), father Alan (Malcolm Stoddard) and their four children -- meet a mysterious pregnant woman (played by Angela Pleasence, who definitely has her father Donald's creepiness about her) and invite her back to their home, where she stays for a drink. As she is finally about to leave, the woman goes into labour and gives birth to a baby girl. The next day, the Marlowes discover that the woman has gone, but has left her newborn daughter behind.

Now this is where the film really starts to get improbable: rather than contact the authorities to have the baby taken into care, Kate and Alan decide to raise her as their own, naming her Bonnie. Silly billies! The cute blonde kid turns out to be a 'cuckoo in the nest' i.e., she starts to bump off the couple's children, starting with infant Matthew, smothering him in his cot. No sooner has mother Kate started to get over her grief, the evil moppet is at it again, drowning son Davy in a river. Still, the couple are none the wiser, although Alan is concerned about the strange fingermarks on Bonnie's wrist.

Give this film credit, it's not afraid to give Kate and Alan a serious emotional pummelling: dead child number three is Sam, who falls to his death in a barn while playing hide and seek. Alan finds Bonnie's blue ribbon by his son's body, further fuelling his suspicions. But it is when he sees Bonnie in action with his own eyes that he knows he is not being paranoid: the killer kiddie tries to send daughter Lucy flying off her swing, the nasty accident narrowly avoided by her father's quick actions.

Try as he might, Alan is unable to convince his wife of Bonnie's true nature, so decides to deal with her in his own way before she can get to Lucy again. However, in a 'strewth, did they really go there?' moment, Lucy is pushed to her death out of a window. All four kids dead! I didn't expect the whole brood to buy the farm, but Bonnie's evil kid credentials sure are impressive.

Admittedly, it's all a little far-fetched, especially the ending, which sees Kate steadfastly refusing to believe ill of Bonnie, and Alan witnessing the mysterious woman, pregnant again, befriending another family. But it's kinda fun regardless. So many dead kids...

Absolute Rubbish!!!

[batstandards · 1/10 · 25 April 2003]

The film is absolutely dreadful. I had to watch it with the fast forward button. This film succeeds at doing only 2 things...it makes you want to beat up the stranger and the evil girl. The film is full of empty spaces...it could have been over in 20 minutes. Avoid this film!

Scary

[severedepress · 8/10 · 29 January 2007]

I saw this movie about 3 years after it came out, and actually enjoyed it. It moves a bit slow for American viewers, and yes, it is terrifying, especially if you have children. The next few months of my life were made frightening by my 4 year old (at the time). It seems her dad let her watch the movie and she followed me around the house saying "mummy? mummy? I love you, mummy..." in the exact tone and accent as the evil child character. So, if you're into twisted, suspense, and totally scary, this movie is for you. If your into action (ex. XXX), this one is too slow for you. Just don't let the kids watch it. Oh, yeah...it's NOT a happy ending.

a good review

[aslarabee · 6/10 · 31 March 2005]

Although I haven't watched this movie in at least seven years, I have always enjoyed watching it. I personally thought that the movie was a great one to watch. It may be on the low end of horror flicks as far as bloodiness and actually murder scenes, but it does get the point across. I have been unable to find this movie in video stores, even ones with older movies. So, even if anyone wants to watch the movie it may be hard to find. I truly loved the context of the movie. I think that it does show the lack of technology that we had in the 1980's compared to now, but I have seen many movies from the 1980's that are about the same in the technology area. However, it doesn't make them bad. However, this is just my opinion.

Plays like a bad made for TV horror flick

[preppy-3 · 1/10 · 2 January 2003]

A nice, young British couple with three (or four--I forgot) children meet a heavily pregnant woman in a park. They invite her home with them. During the night she gives birth and leaves without them knowing it. They decide to bring up the baby as their own. What they don't know is that the baby is evil and wants all their attention...even if it means killing off her siblings to get it...

Rightly forgotten 1980 horror film. The book was very scary and well-written...this adaptation is faithful (except for a stupid changed ending) but the acting is bad and the direction is really, really off. The killings are bloodless and happen offscreen--how this thing got an R rating is beyond me. Dull, trite and forgettable. It was originally advertised with the tagline "For God's sake...take it back!" Trust it.

A very average film with an incredibly scary star

[Boris Grushenko · 19 September 2001]

The film is basically a complete rip-off of the evil child genre and, to be honest, Omen makes a much better job of it. A young couple, living in an idyllic country setting, are visited by a pregnant woman who gives birth at their house and then disappears mysteriously leaving her baby daughter. A series of "accidental" deaths follows in the household and eventually the parents come to realise that the demonic child is the cause.

The film adds nothing to the genre, but it is almost worth watching just for the evil child. After each death, the camera zooms up on her face and she wears an expression of pure evil. Very disturbing. I remember seeing the film when I was 15 and could not forget her face.

Apart from that, the Godsend is pretty missable.

Horrible "OMEN" rip-off

[horror7777 · 3/10 · 30 December 2000]

"First there was ROSEMARY'S BABY. Then THE OMEN. And now, a tale more suspenseful, more frightening than either... As the snow fell in New York, I took this video out of my video closet. The box looked interesting, with this quote on the back. On the front, there was an upside-down cross with the two eyes peering at me. For an instant, I thought this was going to be an Oscar worthy rip-off. The film started nice enough, opening with pretty views of the English countryside. A family was playing in the meadow, when a stranger came and asked if she could stay. She was pregnant and needed a place to give birth. Well, she gave birth that night and left the next morning. Then in pitiful fashion the baby, now a girl, kills all the "sibling competition". Now, I started wondering about halfway through the film, what was I watching? The girl resembled Drew Barrymore in "Firestarter". It was like: "The Omen"+"Firestarter"+A Daytime Soap all in one. The big killings are done in 30 minutes, the other hour was basically spent with the parents fighting. The father wanted to get rid of her, the mother wanted to keep her. And as if that was bad, the ending was so contrived. It was clear, the movie was over after 30 minutes. The filmmakers desperately needed to end the film. But there was no way to do it. The ending came so abruptly, that I must say seeing those red credits on the screen must have been the scariest part of all. At any rate, avoid this one and rent "The Omen" again!!

The Devil's Spawn

[sol1218 · 7/10 · 29 November 2009]

**SPOILERS** Going along the same theme as the "The Omen" the British horror flick "The Godsend" is about an unsuspecting couple Alan & Kate Marlowe who end up adopting a child, whom they named Bonnie, that was left practically on their doorstep by this strange and somewhat deranged woman. It's not that long when the Marlowe's take little Bonnie in as their fifth child that three of their own children, Bradly Davy & Sam, end up dying under mysterious circumstances. What's even stranger about the Marlowe's children's dying is that little Bonnie was at the scenes of every one of their deaths!

It's Alan who at first becomes suspicious of Bonnie having something to do with his and Kate's children deaths which has him try to find out just who Bonnie's natural mother-the strange one-really is. While trying to get to the bottom of Bonnie's true parents Alan comes down with an almost fatal illness that renders him sterile. At the same time Kate who was pregnant with Alan's child had a mysterious fall down a flight of stairs that caused her to lose her unborn baby!

***SPOILERS*** It soon becomes very apparent to Alan that Bonnie is not the sweet and cuddly child that she makes herself out to be and tries to have her taken away from him and Kate by the town's social services. It's later that Kate in having very strong feelings for Bonnie threatens to divorce Alan if he tries to go through with his plan. It's when the much smaller Bonnie turns her evil attention towards the Marlowe's last surviving child Lucy that even Kate finally realizes what a monster in Bonnie the Marlowe family has in its mist. But by then it's too late for Kate or even Alan, who already knows just what Bonnie is all about, to stop her!

The shocking ending of the movie has really nothing to do with Bonnie but her what seems like spaced out and odd-ball mother who really isn't all that mysterious at all. She's been doing this, pawning off her new born children, for some time. And as the movie comes to an end we as well as a shocked down to his socks Alan see that she's got another Bonnie in the wings for some unsuspecting couple to raise and end up suffering the very same fate that he and and his wife Kate are experiencing right now!

Simply not scary!

[rosscinema · 3/10 · 26 March 2003]

This was another evil child film that came out after "The Exorcist" and "The Omen" and this is easily the most forgettable. One reason is that they're are no recognizable actors in the film. The pregnant girl at the beginning who gives birth is Angela Pleasence and she is the daughter of Donald Pleasence. After she gives birth she suddenly disappears and the couple who took her in raise the child. Over the next 8 years or so the couple lose they're children in accidents. The father is suspicious of their adopted child but the mother is protective. Story is just like a human version of the cuckoo. The bird lays its eggs in another birds nest and leaves so another bird can raise the chick. When the mother isn't around it pushes the other baby birds out of the nest so it can have all the attention from its adoptive mother. From what I have heard the book that this is based on is much better. It should be. This leaves a lot out like details! Their was absolutely nothing scary about this film. The parents argue all the time and we get close-ups of the girls face that is suppose to embody evil. Film moves slowly along and then ends without any solution ala' "The Omen". I guess they left the end open in case this poor excuse for a horror film became a hit and they could make a sequel. About the only good thing I can say about this film is that the cinematography is pretty good. Nicely shot, but other than that its a waste of time. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what film to rent instead, do I?

A quick review of "Godsend" (1980), with general spoilers.

[ericrnolan · 6/10 · 28 November 2015]

A picnicking English family encounters a mysterious, pregnant young woman in a meadow. Her behavior is strange, and the little she says is puzzling. They take her home, and are then surprised when she suddenly gives birth to an infant girl there. Then she inexplicably vanishes.

The couple, who already have five children, adopt the baby as their sixth. But their unusually large family begins to be depleted, after their biological children die, one by one, under mysterious circumstances.

That's the premise of "Godsend" (1980). You've got to admit, that is chilling, and it held my attention throughout the length of this passably entertaining movie. It has an interesting story setup, and there is at least one truly frightening sequence at the story's end. In addition, the spooky young mother is effectively played, however briefly, by Angela Pleasence, daughter of Donald Pleasence.

But I doubt this will wind up on many top ten lists. It's thinly scripted, slowly paced, and features two parents who seem minimally affected by the deaths of their children. It's also too derivative of its obvious inspiration, "The Omen" (1976).

I'd give it a 6 out of 10.

Not bad at all

[atinder · 6/10 · 21 August 2015]

I wasn't sure what to expect of this movie But I enjoyed it

I found the girl to cute to evil but boy was one evil girl, but hers eyes scenes got really annoying At times

The plot was a little , girl been adopted into family , with number of kids

There others kids starts to killed of one by one years apart for skme odd reason

We only get to see the aftermath of the deaths I liked one strange scence ,

which really wearied but great to watch

6 out of 10

Neat little British horror shocker

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 31 January 2014]

A strange pregnant woman (a memorable and quietly sinister performance by Donald Pleasence's daughter Angela) shows up unexpectedly at a country cottage owned by a young couple with four kids. The woman gives birth to a daughter and then promptly vanishes. The couple decide to raise the girl Bonnie (ably played to the supremely creepy hilt by Joanne Boorman and Wilhelmina Green) as if she was their own, only to have Bonnie grow up to be an evil brat who starts bumping off her other siblings. Director Gabrielle Beaumont, working from a bold and compact script by Olaf Pooley, relates the compellingly twisted story at a hypnotically gradual pace, does an ace job of crafting a grim and unsettling atmosphere, grounds the fantastic premise in a believable workaday reality, and makes nice use of the beautiful bucolic locations. Moreover, Beaumont warrants extra praise for handling the dark and upsetting subject matter in a tasteful and restrained, yet still effective and disturbing manner as well as for using a low-key approach that puts a noted emphasis on an eerie and subtly unnerving mood over cheap shocks and graphic gore. Malcolm Stoddard and Cyd Hayman are solid and credible as the concerned and increasingly distraught parents, with sturdy support from Patrick Barr as friendly physician Dr. Collins. Norman Warwick's sharp cinematography offers several stunning panoramic shots of the breathtaking British countryside. Roger Webb's robust shuddery score hits the spine-tingling spot. This picture acquires an extra chilling sting from its intriguing ambiguity (for example, we never find out exactly why Bonnie is so wicked). Worth a watch.

Evil kids

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 8 July 2021]

Based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Bernard Taylor, this film pulls no punches if you're thinking that children are safe in a movie.

Alan and Kate Marlowe are walking with their four children - Davy, Lucy, Sam and Matthew - when a pregnant stranger (Angela Pleasence - yes, Donald's daughter) follows them home, staring oddly and doing strange things like cutting their telephone line before giving birth in their home. The next day she disappears - I guess hospitals weren;t around in 1980 England - and keep her child, who they name Bonnie. I also figure that the adoption system wasn't a thing either.

Within days, Matthew is dead while lying in the same playpen as the mysterious baby. The Davy drowns in a creek, supposedly saving Bonnie's life, which makes sense, until then Sam dies in a barn and Bonnie's ribbon is nearby. Suddenly people are calling the Marlowes child killers. Then, Bonnie gets the mumps and kisses him, giving him the illness as well as a dream where he realizes she has killed all of his children other than Lucy.

By the end of the film, Bonnie has claimed the Marlowes' unborn child when she trips Kate, broken up their marriage and used mind control - wow, where did that come from? - to make Lucy walk out a window. This ending is nothing like the book, so I've heard. I do like the close where Alan sees the woman in the park who started all this insanity, but nobody will listen to his prophecy of doom.

This was directed by Gabrielle Beaumont, working from a script by her husband Olaf Pooley. She was the first woman to direct an episode of Star Trek and also made Death of a Centerfold, He's My Girl and Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus.

"You First!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 23 April 2019]

In THE GODSEND, Alan and Kate Marlowe (Malcolm Stoddard and Cyd Hayman) and their four kids, happen upon an odd, pregnant woman (Angela Pleasence). Obviously, they take her home with them, where her weirdness can be more fully exhibited, and her daughter can be born.

When the strange woman simply disappears, she leaves her baby behind. No problem, the Marlowes need a fifth child anyway, so the baby is named Bonnie. The terror starts right away, as one of the other children dies suddenly! As Bonnie grows up, the other Marlowe offspring are in jeopardy, since Bonnie is pure eeevil! Will Alan and Kate figure out what's happening before becoming a single child family through attrition?

A silly film, the truly aggravating aspect is the utter, blind stupidity of the parents, as they moon over the devil child, oblivious to her murderous reign of terror. By the time they begin to suspect anything, they're down to their last child! While some of this can be attributed to whatever supernatural hogwash is afoot, it's still quite annoying! Imagine one of the female uber-kids from VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED living with you, and you can see the absurdity of it all.

In addition, this unfolds in a very tedious manner, with little real action or drama. Bonnie's stern looks are supposed to fill in for anything actually taking place. They don't...

Not as good as The Bad Seed but still very enjoyable

[Johan_Wondering_on_Waves · 7/10 · 27 January 2015]

Reading its premise it reminded me immediately of an old favorite of mine "The Bad Seed" and to a minor extent "Bloody Birthday". These movies all have one thing in common, all of them are a devilish child (in Bloody Birthday it's even 3 kids)lacking some kind of conscience and who get a thrill out of killing people. They even get away with those crimes in the beginning, fooling people who are wondering how that could have happened. At some point someone close to them gets suspicious. The motives however are in each case different. Rhoda from The Bad Seed was pretty materialistic. If she thought she deserved or wanted something (being it a prize, an object) she just took it and resorted to killing the person trying to deny it to her. The 3 kids from Bloody Birthday really didn't have a clear motive they just seemed to do it because they could even though people trying to stand in their way were more likely to be victimized. And last but not least there is Godsend Bonnie with angelic blonde hair and face, born from a mysterious woman who disappeared the next morning after giving birth in a home of a household of a couple with 4 children. The couple decides to raise Bonnie as one of their own. Bonnie is still only a baby when she commits her first murder. She doesn't kill for fun nor for material things, but weird enough for love. She wants the love of her parents for her alone. And she tries to get rid of those who she has to share the attention with, being her stepbrothers and sister. The good thing is all her killings are clever and mysterious since all but the last happen of screen. Of course with each loss the parents gets more and more depressed, the mother the most. The father on the other hand tries to find out how it happened and gets really suspicious of Bonnie when a third kid dies. The mother refuses to think bad of her little angel and more and more conflicts happen between the parents something Bonnie handily takes advantage of. The ending is quite open which might be cliché for these type of movies but I like it. Trying to break such a circle won't make it stop as there is a big chance such a circle can begin out of nothing somewhere else again. No matter how much we try there will always be evil to deal with.

Unusual, hard-hitting British horror

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 22 July 2016]

This bleak, nihilistic film is obviously inspired heavily by THE OMEN - and yet remains a far more horrifying picture. This is due to the fact that the victims in this film are all innocent children who get savagely killed, deaths which will upset even the hardest viewer. While it's not a particularly well-made picture in any respect (i.e. the low budget is quite often apparent), the film achieves what it sets out to do, to horrify the viewer, and thus it gets my thumbs up.

The lack of big-name stars helps to add to the realism in THE GODSEND. The central characters are played by unknowns, and the only familiar face will be Angela Pleasence in a cameo. Pleasence plays an exceedingly creepy woman who acts as a catalyst for the murders, and is the most disturbing thing in this film. Stoddard and Hayman are very good as the anxious parents, who eventually split up under the pressure; Stoddard is a likable central figure, while Hayman excels as the woman who suffers a nervous breakdown through circumstances she just can't comprehend.

The murders are kept off screen (apart from a nasty moment where a child is thrown from a window), leaving our imaginations to play a big part. Each breaks down the parent's mental state further. The little blonde girl is very good in it, too. THE GODSEND is a little-seen, little-heard of film, but for viewers who like to be creeped out (and not through gallons of gore, either), then it deserves some tracking down.