Movie spotlight
Sometimes They Come Back
Desperate for a job to help him support his family, Jim Norman takes a position teaching high school in the town where his brother was murdered in front of him by teenage bullies twenty-seven years before. The teens who committed the crime are long dead, but now the kids in Jim's new class keep dying and being replaced by new students who look like the deceased hoodlums.
Insights
Plot Summary
A small-town English teacher, haunted by the traumatic murder of his parents years earlier, returns to his hometown with his son. He soon finds himself confronting a supernatural force tied to a group of malevolent teen spirits from the past who are determined to claim his son. As the danger escalates, he must find a way to defeat the spirits and protect his family.
Critical Reception
This Stephen King adaptation received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its suspenseful atmosphere and Scott Bakula's performance, while others found the plot predictable and the horror elements somewhat dated. It found a more positive reception among fans of supernatural thrillers and King's earlier works.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its eerie atmosphere and a solid lead performance.
Criticized for a formulaic plot and less-than-terrifying scares.
Seen as a decent, if uninspired, supernatural thriller for fans of the genre.
Google audience: Audience reviews often highlight the film's effective tension and the compelling presence of Scott Bakula. However, many also point out that the horror elements haven't aged particularly well and the story follows a somewhat predictable path.
Fun Fact
The film is based on a short story of the same name by Stephen King, which was published in the March 1974 issue of Cavalier magazine and later included in his 1978 collection 'Night Shift'.
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