The Guardian (1990)

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers (WGA):

Dan Greenburg (novel)
Stephen Volk (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 April 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Tonight, while the world is asleep... an ancient evil is about to awaken.

Plot:

Alan and Molly Sheridan have a baby boy named Jake. They hire a baby-sitter, Camilla, to look after Jake and she becomes part of the family...

Plot Keywords:

Baby | Druid | Nanny | Friend | Driving Into Fence

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Jenny Seagrove	...	Camilla
Dwier Brown	...	Phil
Carey Lowell	...	Kate
Brad Hall	...	Ned Runcie
Miguel Ferrer	...	Ralph Hess
Natalia Nogulich	...	Molly Sheridan
Pamela Brull	...	Gail Krasno
Gary Swanson	...	Allan Sheridan
Jack David Walker	...	Punk
Willy Parsons	...	Punk
Frank Noon	...	Punk
Theresa Randle	...	Arlene Russell
Xander Berkeley	...	Detective
Ray Reinhardt	...	Dr. Klein
Jacob Gelman	...	Scotty

Runtime:

92 min | Argentina:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1991) (video release) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1990) (theatrical release) | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Valencia, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Movie Connections:

Featured in Boogeymen: The Killer Compilation (2001) (V)

Silly, but quite enjoyable horror/thriller.

** 1/2 out of ****

I always enjoy a good splatter flick and while I wouldn't necessarily call The Guardian a "good" film, it sure as hell is an entertaining one. The plot's pretty silly, with Jenny Seagrove as Camilla, a newly hired caretaker of a young couple's (Dwier Brown and Cary Lowell) infant son. Camilla appears to be the perfect nanny, sweet and loving, but actually, she's a Druid who needs the baby to prolong her immortal life, or something to that effect (the movie really didn't explain too much, and if you think I gave anything away by mentioning her as a Druid, the opening subtitles already state that info). She's also got a weird relationship with a big tree in the forest.

The film's got a lot of stupidity here and there, especially the young couple, who don't bother checking Camilla's references before hiring her, or the fact that this caretaker happens to be able to move around so many residences freely without too much suspicion (okay, for a while, at least). And considering the fact Camilla's a Druid, where'd she get this tree? This is set in L.A., not Europe. As I said before, not much is answered, and I guess I should be grateful because I can't imagine any answers that wouldn't delve the material into further silliness.

But I credit director William Friedkin for handling all this with a straight face. Some of this stuff (particularly the scenes with the tree) could have been played as camp, but I'm rather glad Friedkin plays this seriously and, as he did with The Exorcist, he manages to craft some truly suspenseful and frightening moments. Still, the film does slide into scenes that are too silly to be taken very seriously; you'll know what I mean when you see the chainsaw scene near the end of the movie.

Unlike The Exorcist, he shows no restraint with violence, preferring to give us several enjoyably gory death scenes and a LOT of blood spattering everywhere. There's also a decent amount of nudity present, courtesy of the rather lovely Jenny Seagrove. She's not quite as effective a horror villainess as, say, Mathilda May in Lifeforce, but gets the job done. Dwier Brown and Cary Lowell are okay, a little flat during some scenes and certainly not aided by a script that makes them act like idiots, but are convincing enough as caring and concerned parents.

Surprisingly very little music is used, with Friedkin trying to use the sounds of the wind and other such natural elements to create goosebumps. It's a good attempt, and while it works during two very lengthy, suspenseful sequences, he's still no M. Night Shyamalan. Considering the rather negative critical response The Guardian received, it's easy to see why Friedkin hasn't made a genre film since. But I enjoyed almost every minute of it would recommend it to horror fans seeking a quick-paced, gory thriller.