Watch Village of the Damned

In the movie Village of the Damned, directed by Wolf Rilla and released in 1960, the small British town of Midwich is suddenly affected by a mysterious phenomenon: all its inhabitants fall unconscious for a few hours, and soon after, all the women of childbearing age turn out to be pregnant. The situation gets even more perplexing when, after only a few months, all the children born have an eerie similarity, with silvery white hair, icy blue eyes, and a peculiar detachment from human emotions.

As the townspeople begin to realize that their children are not ordinary, and that they possess unnerving powers of telepathy and mind control, they start to fear for their safety. The children themselves seem to have a malevolent agenda, and it becomes clear that their telepathic powers allow them to communicate with each other and work in unison to achieve their goals.

The movie is a gripping blend of horror and science-fiction, as both the townspeople and a team of scientists from the government work to uncover the mystery behind the children's origins and capabilities. Alongside the science-fiction elements, the movie also explores deeper themes of human nature, morality, and the responsibility that comes with having power.

George Sanders stars as Gordon Zellaby, a scientist who tries to understand the children's abilities while also serving as a voice of reason in the increasingly frenzied town. Barbara Shelley plays his wife, Anthea, who is one of the few humans able to resist the children's telepathic influence. Michael Gwynn plays Alan Bernard, a scientist working for the government who becomes increasingly obsessed with studying the children, even as they pose a threat to humanity.

The young actors who play the children, especially Martin Stephens as David Zellaby, give chilling performances that are both creepy and mesmerizing. They convey a sense of otherworldly intelligence and detachment that is deeply unsettling, compounded by their ability to control the minds of others.

The movie has a stark and eerie atmosphere, with the bleak English countryside serving as a backdrop for the escalating horror. The black-and-white cinematography adds to the sense of unease, with stark contrasts and shadows heightening the tense atmosphere.

Overall, Village of the Damned is a classic of the horror and science-fiction genres, exploring profound themes of power, morality, and fear. Its gripping plot and chilling performances ensure that it remains a perennial favorite among fans of the genre, and an enduring testament to the power of cinema to elicit strong emotions and provoke thought.

Village of the Damned is a 1960 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 17 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 77.