Sometimes They Come Back - Sometimes King's work works

If you've ever watched any of Stephen King's books translated to the big screen, then you've basically seen this… only much, much better.  If you haven't watched any of the other adaptations then you'll need to know that almost every other story is set in a small American town where something supernatural takes place.  And there's bullies.  There's ALWAYS bullies!

I've seen plenty of King's work turned into films and, sadly, most of them range from awful to simply forgettable.  There are a few classics (granted they adhere to the above synopsis), but on the whole they are pretty nondescript.  Sadly, 'Sometimes They Come Back' falls in the 'awful' category.  It's just one major cliche after the next.  It has horror cliches and Stephen King cliches, but either way, just cliches.

I first watched it back when it was released in 1991 and thought it was okay - although not okay enough to ever bother buying on VHS back then and certainly not worth tracking down a DVD copy.  Now, nearly thirty years later I found it online on a streaming service and thought I'd give it a go.  I have to say it's a hard watch.  It's about a family who comes to - yes, you guessed it - a small American town where the father (Jim Norman) is going to teach at the local school.  However, he holds a deep, dark connection to the town.

He lived here when he was young and his brother was killed by bullies who were then, in turn, killed in the process (yes, it's a pretty unlikely scenario, but you just have to go with it).  We know they're bullies because they bully people.  It's as simple as that.  The antagonists are never given any further character development, or backstory.  They just drive around picking on people - a lynchpin in King's work.  Now our hero has grown up and has a family of his own, he thinks his past is firmly behind him, but - guess what - sometimes they come back!

Yes, those deceased bullies come back to haunt him and his new family because… er, well because they're now spooky bullies (with no new character traits thanks to their supernatural abilities).  So, can he lay them to rest once and for all and save his family?  By the time comes for him to do so, I didn't really care.

It really is a 'straight to video' horror film.  It's not particularly horrific, creepy and thanks to having - at best - TV actors in all the lead roles, there aren't any memorable characters you'll really care for, let alone remember.  Since reviewing this film I've noticed a lot of people who clearly disagree with me - giving it top marks and calling it an 'underrated horror film.' Sorry, I always give King's work a go, but I can't really give this adaptation a pass.  Like I said, I sat through it in 1991 when I was 14 and clearly hadn't seen that many horror films.  I think only 14 year olds who aren't schooled in cinema will get something out of this.  It certainly isn't an 'IT' (if you know what I mean).

5/10 a hard trek, a bit like unicycling to Mordor and back