← Back to results
Children of the Corn
1984 92 min United States of America R 18+
★5.4
Horror, Thriller
Director: Fritz Kiersch
🎭 Based on
«Children of the Corn»
byStephen King
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
Teaser
EN
Description
A traveling couple end up in an abandoned Nebraska town inhabited by a cult of murderous children who worship a demon that lives in the local cornfields.
Budget:
$800,000
US Gross:
$14.57M
Worldwide:
$14.57M
Starring
Peter Horton
Actor
Linda Hamilton
Actor
R.G. Armstrong
Actor
Awards
1 win & 3 nominations total
Key opinion
Children of the Corn (1984) is a divisive horror adaptation that relies heavily on its eerie rural atmosphere and standout performances from its young cast to succeed. While the film is often praised for its influential visuals and unsettling cult premise, it is frequently criticized for a weak, padded screenplay, poor special effects, and an underwhelming climax.
| Acting | The child actors, particularly John Franklin as Isaac and Courtney Gains as Malachai, deliver charismatic and menacing performances that anchor the film. | |
| Production | The film effectively establishes a lingering sense of dread and a uniquely creepy, isolated cornfield aesthetic that influenced later genre tropes. | |
| Production | The special effects are widely considered crude and dated, failing to meet the demands of the film's climactic moments. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay suffers from significant logical gaps and insufficient exposition regarding the cult's origins and the nature of the deity they serve. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is polarizing; some viewers appreciate the deliberate, atmospheric build-up, while others find the runtime bloated by purposeless wandering. |