The Bad Seed Returns (2022)
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A teenage girl hides her psychopathy behind a facade of normalcy while living with her aunt and uncle.
The story
Six years after her father's death, 15-year-old Emma Grossman lives with her aunt Angela, her aunt's husband Robert, and their baby Cade. Despite her secret psychopathy, Emma maintains a facade of a normal teenager. However, she struggles with Robert's presence in the household. When Robert discovers Emma's behavior and plans to send her to a boarding school, Emma begins to act out. After a series of escalating incidents, including sabotaging Robert's car, Emma faces a direct ultimatum from her uncle to either leave for the school or face imprisonment.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Six years after her father's death, 15-year-old Emma Grossman lives with her aunt Angela, her aunt's husband Robert, and their baby Cade. Emma hides her psychopathy behind a normal exterior but struggles with Robert. After Robert finds her hiding his knife and plans to send her to St. Crispin's boarding school, Emma sabotages his car, breaking his legs. During a sleepover, Emma is taken to the hospital to see Robert, where she retrieves his knife. Emma then kidnaps and kills her classmate Steph's dog, leading to Steph's death from a seizure triggered by Emma stealing her medication. Robert eventually returns home in a wheelchair, and Emma gives him an ultimatum: go to school or face prison. Angela discovers Emma has antisocial personality disorder. Emma then drugs and kills her classmate Kat, framing her for arson. Finally, Emma sets the house on fire with gasoline, killing Angela and Robert. She carries baby Cade to safety and plays the innocent victim for the arriving firefighters, eventually convincing a social worker to keep her and the baby together.
- First release year
- 2022
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Louise Archambault
- Writers
- Ross Burge · screenplay; Mckenna Grace · screenplay; Barbara Marshall · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Mckenna Grace · Emma Grossman; Michelle Morgan · Angela Grossman; Benjamin Ayres · Robert Costa; Ella Dixon · Kat Sandburg; Marlowe Zimmerman · Stephanie Lowford; Gabriela Bee · Lola; Marlee Walchuk · Cora; Lorne Cardinal · Brian
- Genres
- horror; drama
- Themes
- psychopathy; juvenile delinquency; family dynamics
- Tone and mood
- horror; drama
- Setting
- A contemporary household and school environment.
- Premise and plot tags
- sequel; horror; drama; psychopath
- Source material / true-story basis
- William March's 1954 novel
- Franchise connections
- The Bad Seed
- Reception
- The film was delayed from its original May 2022 release date due to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
- Production trivia
- The film was originally scheduled for release on May 30, 2022.; Filming began in Vancouver in November 2021.; Patty McCormack's character name is a reference to William March, the novel's author.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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