The Bad Seed
“Evil Kids Have The Sweetest Faces”
Synopsis
Rachel is a 9-year-old girl who is perfection itself - unless she's crossed or challenged. Several disturbing recent incidents have led Rachel's mother Christine to suspect that her child is a latent murderess. Upon discovering that she herself is the daughter of a convicted killer, Christine becomes convinced that sweet little Rachel is a "bad seed" - an inherent killer who feels no remorse because she doesn't know any better.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Bad Seed (TV Movie) - Feature ClipOfficial
Type: Clip • Published 2014-07-09
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Blair Brown
Christine Penmark
Lynn Redgrave
Monica Breedlove
David Carradine
Leroy Jessup
Carrie Wells
Rachel Penmark
Richard Kiley
Richard Bravo
David Ogden Stiers
Emory Breedlove
Chad Allen
Mark Daigler
Weldon Bleiler
Fred Daigler
Christa Denton
Rhoda Penmark
Sarah Fairfax
Bessie Danker
Anne Haney
Alice Fern
Carol Locatell
Rita Daigler
Eve Smith
Mrs. Post
Katharine Tobin
Student
Rebecca Birken
Younger Christine (uncredited)
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Paul Wendkos
- Screenplay & Story
- Maxwell Anderson, William March, George Eckstein
- Original Score
- Paul Chihara
- Original Title
- The Bad Seed
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Paul Wendkos
Maxwell Anderson, William March, George Eckstein
Paul Chihara
Ted Voigtlander
Steven Cohen
George Eckstein
Department Leadership Roster
Paul Wendkos
Director
Ted Voigtlander
Director of Photography
Paul Chihara
Original Music Composer
Steven Cohen
Editor
Frederick P. Hope
Production Design
George Eckstein
Producer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Bad Seed.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Bad Seed.
2026 movies watched playlist
Here is the list of how many hours of movies that I watched in 2026 movie list here so far.
Movies - Horror
HORROR COLLECTIONS, ANTHOLOGIES, SEQUALS. PREQUELS, REMAKES & SPIN-OFFS
list2
Emmy Award Nominated Titles - IMDb
500 best 85's movies
Similar Titles to The Bad Seed
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.0
6.7
6.5
5.3
7.1
6.5
8.0
6.8
5.5
7.3
5.6
7.1
7.2
7.4
More Like The Bad Seed
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Bad Seed
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Bad Seed about?
Rachel is a 9-year-old girl who is perfection itself - unless she's crossed or challenged. Several disturbing recent incidents have led Rachel's mother Christine to suspect that her child is a latent murderess. Upon discovering that she herself is the daughter of a convicted killer, Christine becomes convinced that sweet little Rachel is a "bad seed" - an inherent killer who feels no remorse because she doesn't know any better.
Who directed The Bad Seed?
The Bad Seed was directed by Paul Wendkos.
Who stars in The Bad Seed?
The principal cast of The Bad Seed includes Blair Brown, Lynn Redgrave, David Carradine, Carrie Wells, Richard Kiley.
When was The Bad Seed released and how long is it?
The Bad Seed was released in 1985 with a total runtime of 1h 40m.
Who composed the musical score for The Bad Seed?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Bad Seed was composed by Paul Chihara.
Is The Bad Seed based on a book or true story?
The Bad Seed is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "William March".