The Bad Seed Returns

Last updated

The Bad Seed Returns
The Bad Seed Returns.jpg
Television release poster
Based on The Bad Seed
by William March
Screenplay by
Story byRoss Burge
Mckenna Grace
Directed by Louise Archambault
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
  • Crystal Burge
  • Ross Burge
  • Mckenna Grace
  • Mark Wolper
ProducerCharles Cooper
Production companies
Original release
Network Lifetime
ReleaseSeptember 5, 2022 (2022-09-05)

The Bad Seed Returns is an American made-for-television horror drama film directed by Louise Archambault, written by Ross Burge, Mckenna Grace, and Barbara Marshall, and starring Mckenna Grace, Michelle Morgan, Benjamin Ayres, Marlowe Zimmerman, Jude Wilson, Gabriela Bee, Ella Dixon, Marlee Walchuk, Lorne Cardinal, and a special appearance by Patty McCormack. It is the sequel to the 2018 television film The Bad Seed , which was both a remake of the 1956 film, as well as having been adapted from William March's 1954 novel. The film premiered on Lifetime on September 5, 2022.

Contents

Plot

Six years after her father David's death, Emma Grossman is a sophomore in high school, living with her aunt Angela, Angela's new husband Robert, and their infant son Cade. She is still unsuspected for the murders she committed and masks her psychopathy with the façade of a normal 15-year-old whose life consists of school, friends, and dance.

The opening sequence shows a flash forward of Emma abducting and killing a dog with a knife while newspaper headlines about Emma's past murders flash across the screen.

A time jump takes us to three weeks prior to the events of the end of this film. Emma is struggling to adjust to Angela's new husband Robert living in the house. During breakfast, Emma mentions dance team captain elections are coming up soon, and she expects to beat out her friend Steph for the spot. Robert mentions that his camping knife is missing. When Cade's spoon fell, Emma didn't change the spoon. Instead, she gave the spoon (that fell on the floor) back to Cade.

When Angela drops Emma off at school, Emma finds a brochure for a boarding school called St. Crispin's and learns Robert wants to send her away. She goes into Abraham High School and meets up with Steph and their other friend, Lola. Later that day, a new girl named Kat joins their physics class. She and Emma exchange unfriendly looks.

At dance practice, Steph is praised by their coach while Emma is told she needs to work more on the routine. She stays after to practice solo. On her walk home, a classmate of hers, Nathan, offers her a ride, but she declines.

Once she's home, Emma tries to lure Cade into the unfenced pool. Angela saves him at the last second and blames Robert for not keeping a closer eye on the child. The food Robert made for dinner is too salty, so Emma suggests they order Chinese food instead.

The next day, Steph suggests they invite Kat to sit with them in the cafeteria. Emma does so, but Kat is standoffish and declines. Meanwhile, Robert finds his knife in one of Emma's dresser drawers. By the time she arrives home from school, he's arranged for her to go to St. Crispin's her junior and senior year. Emma has a meltdown in her room, then later goes into Cade's room and observes Robert out in the garage through Cade's window.

That night, Emma wakes from dreams of flashbacks of the events of the first film.

The next day, Kat sits with Emma's friend group in the cafeteria and reveals she transferred from St. Aldin's, piquing Emma's suspicion. Steph invites Kat to the dance team's slumber party at her house the following night.

Emma has an online therapy session with Dr. March where she vents about Robert wanting to send her away. Dr. March's advice is that she solve the problem she created for herself, so Emma makes amends with Robert and pretends she agrees to go on board with going to St. Crispin's. However, when she leaves for Steph's sleepover that night, Emma made a car to fall on Robert resulting in breaking his legs and whistles as she exits.

At Steph's sleepover, Kat brings weed, and the group starts a game of Never Have I Ever. Kat uses this opportunity to bait Emma, but Steph's mom Rachel interrupts to take Emma to the hospital as Robert has been injured. Emma comforts her aunt and takes care of things around the house. She also takes back Robert's knife. Nathan calls to check on her, and Emma googles "What to do when a boy likes you?". (Meaning that Nathan likes Emma.) Meanwhile, Angela visits Robert in the hospital who wakes up and writes, "Emma?" on a piece of notebook paper.

The night before dance team captain elections, Emma sets out to kidnap Steph's dog. Here, we see the scene from the beginning of the film. The next day at school, Steph stays home as her dog was found brutally murdered. However, the dance team teacher tells the team that Steph can still be able to run for captain, and she beats Emma out anyway. Emma goes home in a bad mood that only worsens when she learns Robert is coming home in a week and she has an interview with St. Crispin's that weekend. Emma has another meltdown in her bedroom.

One week later, Robert comes home in a wheelchair and with an in-home aide nurse, Cora, to take care of him. Emma asks Robert if he remembers what happened during his accident and he says he doesn't. Emma smiles and also brings him Cade's baby monitor.

At school, Emma and Kat have a confrontation in the hallway that ends with Kat slapping Emma. Kat gets detention and Nathan escorts Emma to the nurse's office. While there, Emma found a key and steal the seizure medication kept at the school for Steph. That night, Emma tells Angela that Kat has been bullying her. Angela promises to call the school first thing in the morning to put an end to this.

The next day, Rachel sends Angela the Ring camera footage of the person who abducted Steph's dog. Angela realizes the abductor is Emma, but before she can tell Rachel, Rachel tells her something happened at the high school: Steph had a seizure (triggered by Emma who then covered her tracks so it looked random). Steph's medication is missing, and she is taken to the hospital, but it was too late. Steph died from the seizure. Then, Emma pretends to mourn her friend, Steph. Angela confronts Emma that night who swears she didn't kill the dog or Steph.

That weekend, Cora is helping Robert get situated outside for some fresh air when she hears a crash. Emma broke into the safe containing Robert's pain pills and stole several, but she stages it to look like a picture frame fell and knocked the safe onto the floor. Emma then sits outside with Robert and pretends to be on the phone with Nathan when Robert asks for her assistance going back inside. He hurts himself, and when Cora comes to wheel him away, Emma whistles that made Robert trigger his memory of the night of the accident. After this, Robert and Emma have a confrontation where Robert gives her the ultimatum to go away to St. Crispin's and leave his family alone, otherwise he'll tell the truth and get her sent to jail.

Angela discovers Emma has anti-social personality disorder. Later that night, Emma finds the research Angela was doing on her and takes an online test which tells her she is a psychopath and she is satisfied.

The next day, Angela tells Robert she is going out for a couple hours and is taking Cade with her. She meets up with an old Grossman family friend, Brian, to ask about what happened the night he shot her brother David all those years ago. Brian reveals he could never get over a comment David made about Emma: "There's something wrong with her. I need to protect her from herself." Angela finally realizes what David means about Emma all along (from the first film and the present film) and hurriedly heads home.

Back at the house, a storm starts up. Emma steals Cora's phone before she heads home for the night, as well as unplugging the landline. Emma screens Angela's calls and invites Kat to come over, promising to tell her everything. Emma then Facetimes Nathan and asks him to come over in about an hour, once she's cleared the air with Kat. When Kat arrives, Emma presents her with a cup of drugged hot chocolate. Emma confesses to Kat about all the murders and Kat drank the hot chocolate, and realizes that it was drugged then, got poisoned and can only watch as Emma calls 911 and claims that Kat is attacking her and burning her house down. Then, Emma leaves Kat to die.

Robert wakes up to Cade crying over the baby monitor. He can't find Angela or Emma, so he pushes himself up the stairs. Meanwhile, Emma starts a fire and the smoke alarm goes off. She pours gasoline in the house and frames Kat for the fire. At the same time, Robert arrives in Cade's room and discovers his son is not there; it was only a recording playing from Emma's phone. Emma appears, gloats, and leaves Robert to die.

Angela arrives home and confronts Emma who plays innocent but Angela did not believe her anymore and calls Emma a "monster". Angela runs into the burning house to rescue Robert, but the couple dies from smoke inhalation. Emma gets Cade out of Angela's car and puts on a "special and perfect" performance for the firefighters when they arrive on scene. Nathan shows up to comfort her as her house explodes. But Nathan didn't realize that Emma is smiling wickedly while he comforts her.

The final scene shows Emma speaking with a social worker who will be placing her in foster care. Emma begs that she and Cade be kept together. The social worker promises that they will do their best to keep them together. When the social worker exits the room, Emma smiles wickedly at the camera.

Cast

Production

In November 2021, a sequel to 2018's The Bad Seed was announced with Louise Archambault to direct from a script written by Ross Burge, Mckenna Grace and Barbara Marshall, with Grace reprising her role from the first film. [1] Filming began later that month in Vancouver. [2]

The film was originally scheduled for release on Lifetime on May 30, 2022. [3] [4] On May 25, 2022, the film was delayed to later in the year in light of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas. [5] [6] The film ultimately debuted on Lifetime on September 5, 2022. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhoda Penmark</span> Fictional character

Rhoda Penmark is a fictional character in William March's 1954 novel The Bad Seed and the stage play of the same name adapted from it by Maxwell Anderson. She is both the protagonist and antagonist of the story. Penmark is a child serial killer and psychopath who manipulates those around her. She was portrayed by Patty McCormack in the original rendition of the play and later in the 1956 film adaptation. She was also portrayed by Carrie Wells in the 1985 made-for-television adaptation. In the 2018 adaptation and its sequel, she is known as Emma Grossman and portrayed by Mckenna Grace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steph Cunningham</span> UK soap opera character, created 2000

Steph Roach is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Carley Stenson. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 29 March 2000. Steph was introduced into the serial by executive producer Jo Hallows. In 2009 Stenson decided to quit, but the then producer Lucy Allan convinced her to stay to play out a dramatic storyline. The announcement of her departure was made public in June 2010. Stenson's fellow cast members have described her as a "Hollyoaks legend" because of her lengthy duration.

<i>Cookies Fortune</i> 1999 film by Robert Altman

Cookie's Fortune is a 1999 American black comedy film directed by Robert Altman and starring Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Liv Tyler, Patricia Neal, Charles S. Dutton, and Chris O'Donnell. It follows a dysfunctional family in small-town Mississippi and their various responses to the suicide of their wealthy aunt, some of them turning criminal. Musicians Lyle Lovett and Ruby Wilson have minor supporting parts in the film.

<i>Boy Eats Girl</i> 2005 film

Boy Eats Girl is a 2005 horror-comedy film directed by Stephen Bradley and starring Samantha Mumba, produced and shot in Ireland. The plot tells of a teenage boy who comes back to life as a zombie, similar to the plot of the American film My Boyfriend's Back.

<i>The Bad Seed</i> (1956 film) 1956 American film by Mervyn LeRoy

The Bad Seed is a 1956 American psychological thriller film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Henry Jones and Eileen Heckart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Cunningham</span> Fictional character from Hollyoaks

Tom Cunningham is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ellis Hollins. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 28 December 1999. With Tom being a young child for most of his tenure, his early years featured minimal storylines, including the numerous death of his family, being abused by Clare Devine and having various guardians including Steph Cunningham and Jack and Frankie Osborne. However, a turning point came for Tom when it was announced that his girlfriend, Peri Lomax would fall pregnant, and deal with Peri's subsequent decision to give their baby away for adoption. Other storylines have also included his friendships with Nico Blake and Dylan Jenkins and his relationships with Peri and his foster sister Jade Albright.

<i>A Friend to Die For</i> 1994 television film directed by William A. Graham

A Friend to Die For is a 1994 American psychological thriller television film directed by William A. Graham. Written by Dan Bronson, the film is based on the real-life murder of Kirsten Costas, who was killed by her classmate, Bernadette Protti, in 1984. The film was the highest-rated TV movie of 1994.

<i>Meet the Browns</i> (film) 2008 American romance film

Meet the Browns is a 2008 American romantic comedy-drama film released by Lionsgate on March 21, 2008. The film was based on the play of the same name by Tyler Perry and is the third film in the Madea cinematic universe. It was written and directed by Tyler Perry with Ruben Cannon helping with the writing, and starring Angela Bassett, Rick Fox, Margaret Avery, Frankie Faison, Jenifer Lewis, Lance Gross, Sofía Vergara, Lamman Rucker, Tamela Mann, Tyler Perry, and introducing David Mann in his film debut as Leroy Brown. The film tells the story of a struggling single mother from Chicago who takes her children to Georgia to attend her long-lost father's funeral and meets the relatives she didn't know she had.

<i>Symptoms</i> (film) 1974 film

Symptoms is a 1974 British psychological horror film directed by José Ramón Larraz and starring Angela Pleasence, Peter Vaughan, and Lorna Heilbron. The film, based on a story by Thomas Owen, follows a woman who goes to stay with a friend at her family remote English manor where all is not as it seems. The film had its premiere at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival as the first official British entry. The film was released under the alternate title The Blood Virgin.

<i>Monte Carlo</i> (2011 film) 2011 film by Thomas Bezucha

Monte Carlo is a 2011 American adventure-romantic comedy film based on the short story Headhunters by Rankin/Bass co-founder Jules Bass. It was directed by Thomas Bezucha. Denise Di Novi, Alison Greenspan, Nicole Kidman, and Arnon Milchan produced the film for Fox 2000 Pictures and Regency Enterprises. It began production in Harghita, Romania on May 5, 2010. Monte Carlo stars Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy as three friends posing as wealthy socialites in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The film was released on July 1, 2011. It features the song "Who Says" by Selena Gomez & the Scene and numerous songs by British singer Mika. Monte Carlo received mixed reviews from critics, but earned $39.7 million on a $20 million budget. Fox Home Entertainment released Monte Carlo on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on October 18, 2011.

"The Cricket Game" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American ABC fantasy/drama television series Once Upon a Time, and the show's 32nd episode overall. It aired on January 6, 2013.

"In the Name of the Brother" is the 12th episode of the second season of the American ABC fantasy/drama television series Once Upon a Time, and the show's 34th episode overall, which aired on January 20, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mckenna Grace</span> American actress and singer (born 2006)

Mckenna Grace is an American actress and singer. Born in Grapevine, Texas, she began acting professionally at age five and relocated to Los Angeles, California, as a child. Her earliest roles included Jasmine Bernstein in the Disney XD sitcom Crash & Bernstein (2012–2014) and Faith Newman in the soap opera The Young and the Restless (2013–2015). After several small roles, she starred as a child prodigy in Gifted (2017), a breakthrough for which she received a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer.

<i>The Dark at the Top of the Stairs</i> (film) 1960 film directed by Delbert Mann

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs is a 1960 American drama film directed by Delbert Mann and starring Robert Preston and Dorothy McGuire. Shirley Knight garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and Lee Kinsolving was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actor. Knight was also nominated for two Golden Globes. Mann's direction was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film. The film was based on the Tony Award-nominated 1957 play of the same name by William Inge.

<i>The Bad Seed</i> (2018 film) 2018 television film

The Bad Seed is a 2018 American made-for-television horror drama film directed by Rob Lowe for Lifetime. Lowe is also executive producer and stars in the film, alongside Mckenna Grace, Sarah Dugdale, Marci T. House, Lorne Cardinal, Chris Shields, Cara Buono, and a special appearance by Patty McCormack. The horror thriller is based on the 1954 novel by William March, the 1954 play, and the 1956 film. The Bad Seed originally aired on Lifetime on September 9, 2018. This is the second remake of the film, the first being a 1985 film.

Elizabeth Broadway is an American actress best known for her role as Emma Meyer in the Prime Video series Gen V. She has also had roles in The Rookie, Splitting Up Together, Here and Now, and American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules.

<i>A Friend of the Family</i> (miniseries) American true crime drama miniseries

A Friend of the Family is an American true crime drama television miniseries. Based on true events, it focuses on Robert Berchtold, who in the 1970s sexually abused and twice kidnapped Jan Broberg. The show stars Jake Lacy as Berchtold, and Hendrix Yancey and Mckenna Grace as Broberg at different ages. Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton, and Anna Paquin complete the cast.

References

  1. Andreeva, Nellie (November 12, 2021). "Mckenna Grace To Headline & EP 'The Bad Seed' Sequel Greenlighted By Lifetime Which She Co-Wrote". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  2. Gittins, Susan (November 25, 2021). "Lifetime's THE BAD SEED 2 With Mckenna Grace Starts Filming in Vancouver". Hollywood North Buzz. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  3. Navarro, Meagan (November 12, 2021). "Mckenna Grace to Star in 'The Bad Seed' Sequel That She Co-Wrote". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  4. Chapman, Sasha Urban,Wilson; Urban, Sasha; Chapman, Wilson (March 23, 2022). "Paramount Plus Unveils Official Trailer for 'The Godfather' Origins Series 'The Offer' (TV News Roundup)". Variety . Retrieved March 25, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Hailu, Selome (May 25, 2022). "Lifetime Pushes Release of McKenna Grace Horror Film in Wake of Texas Shooting". Variety . Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  6. Petski, Denise (May 26, 2022). "Lifetime Pushes Release Of Mckenna Grace's 'The Bad Seed Returns' Movie Due To Texas Shooting". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  7. Stine, Alison (September 5, 2022). ""The Bad Seed Returns": Despite McKenna Grace's unnerving moments, the sequel never really blossoms". Salon . Retrieved September 6, 2022.