Children of the Damned (1964)

By John Chard

We are here for the same reason you are. "Warning: Spoilers" Children Of The Damned is directed by Anton M. Leader and written by John Briley. It's a thematic sequel to Village Of The Damned from 1960 which was based on the novel written by John Wyndham. Plot finds 6 children identified by UNESCO to have special powers that if used in unison could have devastating consequences for mankind. Interesting and atmospheric if ultimately lukewarm as a whole. Retreading the plot from the superior first film, it's amazing that this take actually has very little to do with the 1960 darling. Confused? Well you wont be watching this since it's very talky and the makers are intent on making us listen. Listen to some moral quandaries, Cold War politics and even a touch of existentialism. All nicely wrapped around 6 not very creepy kids who actually aren't very evil at all. The acting is fine, notably the taut turns from Ian Hendry and Alan Badel, while David Boulton's black & white photography carries a suitable bleakness to it. Well made but all too often dull; where Briley's script isn't as clever as it wants to be, the film is mostly saved by some technical smarts and a boldly gloomy ending. 5/10