Sometimes They Come Back Review

Sometimes They Come Back

Directed by:Tom McLaughlin
Starring: Tim Matheson, Brooke Adams and Robert Russler
Rated: 15
Release Date: 9 April 2012

Reviewed by David Savage

This film is based on the short novel by the master of horror Stephen King.

After having a breakdown in Chicago, Jim Norton (Tim Matheson), returns with his family to his small home town after 27 years and takes a teaching job. He left with his parents after the death of his brother in 1963. His older brother Wayne, 12, was stabbed by a gang of 17 year olds, while taking a shortcut through a railway tunnel, trying to take his money. The gang die when a train hits their car. He was 9 years old at the time.

During the film he keeps having flashbacks to when he was a child and the death of his brother which helps explain the background of the story.

Not long after starting at his new school his students start dying in mysterious circumstances to be replaced each time by a member of the gang that killed his brother (even though they died and would have been 44 years old). These new students, quite literally, are the students from hell and are back to put an end to their “unfinished business”. These new students are all transferred from Milford but this is not quite as is seems.

The past is coming back to haunt him and he has to stand up and fight it or be killed. He has to stop the evil from the past repeating itself. Will he succeed and save him and his family and will this evil gang finish what they started nearly 30 years before?

This Stephen King story has been adapted for television and while it has been changed and updated (1990’s) from the original story the basic storyline is still the same. They only strange thing that didn’t seem to fit or was explained in the story is why when the students were killed the gang seemed invisible but yet at all other times they could be seem by everyone. While not being really horrific it is a very watchable and enjoyable film.

Rating: 4/5

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