The Bad Seed

Name: The Bad Seed
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Released: 1956-09-12
Duration: 2 h 9 min
Rating: 7.1
Cast: Patty McCormack, Nancy Kelly, Henry Jones, Eileen Heckart, Evelyn Varden

1956·Movie·NR·129 min·★ 7.1(276)

Thriller Drama Horror More English titles

“Talk all you want about the man and the woman -- but please don't tell about the girl!”

Air Force Colonel Kenneth Penmark and his wife, Christine, adore their daughter Rhoda, despite her secret tendency for selfishness. Christine keeps her knowledge of her daughter's darker side to herself, but when a schoolmate of Rhoda's dies mysteriously, her self-deception unravels.

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Where to watch The Bad Seed in United States

Can I watch The Bad Seed in United States? Yes — you can stream The Bad Seed in United States on TCM and Kanopy, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.

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Click a service to open The Bad Seed there. Availability last verified on September 10, 2026.

Where is The Bad Seed streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	TCM, Kanopy	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Canada	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Germany	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
France	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Canal VOD
Spain	—	Apple TV Store
Japan	—	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies

About The Bad Seed

The Bad Seed is a 1956 English-language thriller, drama and horror film directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The cast is led by Patty McCormack, Nancy Kelly, Henry Jones. It has a runtime of 2h 9m. Viewers rate it 7.1/10 across 300 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on TCM, Kanopy.

The Bad Seed was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and made in United States of America. It was released on September 12, 1956, and carries a NR certification.

Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Writers: John Lee Mahin
Release date: September 12, 1956
Original language: English
Age rating: NR
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $1 million
Production: Warner Bros. Pictures

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The Bad Seed cast & crew

The Bad Seed was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and written by John Lee Mahin.

The cast features Patty McCormack as Rhoda Penmark, Nancy Kelly as Christine Penmark, Henry Jones as Leroy Jessup, Eileen Heckart as Hortense Daigle, Evelyn Varden as Monica Breedlove, and William Hopper as Col. Kenneth Penmark.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Alex North, cinematography is by Harold Rosson, and it was produced by Mervyn LeRoy.

Is The Bad Seed worth watching?

The Bad Seed holds an audience score of 7.1/10 from 276 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed thriller films.

At 2h 9m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy thriller, drama, and horror, The Bad Seed is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Bad Seed

In United States, you can stream The Bad Seed on TCM and Kanopy, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.