The Godsend (film)
A family adopts a child; their own children die mysteriously.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Godsend is a 1980 British horror film directed by Gabrielle Beaumont, with a screenplay by Olaf Pooley. The cast includes Malcolm Stoddard, Cyd Hayman, Angela Pleasence, Patrick Barr, Wilhelmina Green, and Joanne Boorman. The story centers on a couple who take in a baby girl left by a mysterious woman, and as they raise her, their other children start dying in strange accidents. The movie adapts Bernard Taylor’s 1976 novel of the same name.
In the plot, Alan and Kate Marlowe are out walking with their children—Davy, Lucy, Sam, and baby Matthew—when Kate meets a pregnant stranger who comes home with them. Alan senses something off about her, but says nothing. She cuts the phone line when left alone, then goes into labor, and Kate helps deliver a baby girl. The next day, the woman is gone, leaving the infant behind. Despite Alan’s doubts, Kate wants to keep the baby, whom they name Bonnie. Soon after, Matthew is found dead in his playpen with Bonnie nearby.
At a family picnic, Davy and Bonnie wander off. Kate finds Bonnie by a creek with scratches on her hands, while Alan discovers Davy has drowned. Alan’s CPR fails. They assume Bonnie’s scratches came from Davy saving her. Bonnie starts breaking things, and Sam is blamed, though he denies it. Kate thinks Sam is jealous. During hide-and-seek, Alan finds Sam dead in a barn, and later spots Bonnie’s ribbon near the body.
The Marlowes get anonymous letters accusing them of killing their children, and Kate sinks into depression. After a reporter upsets Kate, the family moves to London. Bonnie gets the mumps and deliberately kisses Alan while he naps, giving him the illness. He then has a dream that flashes back to each son’s death, with Bonnie present each time.
At a playground, Alan sees Bonnie throw an empty swing into Lucy’s path. The chains twist, but Lucy doesn’t fall, and Alan saves her. He tells Kate his fears about Bonnie, saying she’s not normal. Kate disagrees, insisting Bonnie loves Lucy. Alan compares Bonnie to a cuckoo that pushes other chicks out of the nest. He wants to send Bonnie away, but Kate refuses, so he kidnaps Lucy. He gives Kate an ultimatum: choose Bonnie or Lucy. She won’t, and he leaves. Later, Kate has an accident and miscarries. Alan learns from a neighbor that Kate tripped over a doll at the top of the stairs, and that the neighbor’s wife has taken Bonnie on a trip.
Kate tel
- us_release_date
- 18 January 1980
Lore & Background
The film opens with Alan and Kate Marlowe and their four children encountering a pregnant stranger, who later abandons her newborn daughter with them. Despite Alan's unease, Kate insists on keeping the baby, named Bonnie. Soon after, their infant Matthew is found dead in a playpen with Bonnie. At a family picnic, Davy drowns in a creek while Bonnie is found nearby with scratches. Later, Sam is found dead in a barn, and Alan discovers Bonnie's ribbon near the body. The family receives anonymous accusatory letters, and Kate falls into depression. After moving to London, Bonnie becomes ill with mumps and deliberately infects Alan, who then has a dream flashback linking her to each death. At a playground, Alan sees Bonnie cause a swing to twist, nearly harming Lucy. Alan tries to convince Kate th
Reader's Guide
The Godsend is a low-budget British horror film that relies on psychological suspense rather than graphic violence. Its significance lies in its exploration of parental fear and the archetype of the evil child, a theme common in horror of the era. The film received mixed reviews: some critics praised its subtle, sneaky approach, while others panned its execution. It grossed $1,650,000 in the United States and Canada. The film was released theatrically in the US on 11 January 1980 by The Cannon Group, Inc., and later screened in the UK in June 1981 as a double feature with Schizoid. It has been released on Blu-ray twice: first by Scream Factory in 2015 as part of a double-feature with The Outing, and later by Kino Lorber's Kino Cult sublabel in early 2025. The film remains a minor cult item among horror enthusiasts.
Did You Know?
- The film is based on the 1976 novel The Godsend by Bernard Taylor.
- It was released in the United States on 11 January 1980 by The Cannon Group, Inc.
- The film grossed $1,650,000 at the United States and Canadian box offices.
- It screened in the United Kingdom in June 1981 as a double feature alongside Schizoid (1980).
More in British horror films 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record