The Guardian

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The Guardian

R,

1990,

1h 32m,

Horror/

Drama/

Mystery & Thriller

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Watchlist

25%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

32%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

25%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

32%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Optimistic about their future, well-off parents Kate (Carey Lowell) and Phil (Dwier Brown) hire the pleasant and lovely young Camilla (Jenny Seagrove) to live with them and care for their new baby. Though Camilla seems like an answer to their prayers, she proves to be more than she appears, and a diabolical plot involving the wellbeing of their child is uncovered. The young parents are forced to fight supernatural forces for the life of their vulnerable offspring.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Jan 1, 2000

1/4

Of the many threats to modern man documented in horror films -- the slashers, the haunters, the body snatchers -- the most innocent would seem to be the druids.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Dec 8, 2025

2/4

As far as flying nannies go, Jenny Seagrove's isn't half as intimidating as Julie Andrews' Mary Poppins.

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Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

May 9, 2023

2/4

By imploding into self-satire, the film manages some inadvertent humor. And that's not nothing.

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Nov 2, 2022

The more fictitious a scare it accumulates, the more laughter it grants. [Full review in Spanish]

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Sep 14, 2020

6/10

Although the budget clearly isn't sizable, it's enough to design a couple of amusing scenes of violence and morbidly funny tree-creature effects.

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Chris Alexander

Alexander On Film

Jan 8, 2018

The Guardian is a deeply strange picture with a history as tortured as the perverted limbs of the fabricated tree itself...

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Luke S

Sep 28, 2017

I loved this movie it was a great plot and lots of mystery.

Poe W

May 15, 2013

This movie, from director of The Exorcist, is actually pretty crappy. BUT the scene of the tree totally dismembering three punk thugs makes it worth it. Also the evil English nanny is nude a lot.

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William Friedkin

Director

Jenny Seagrove

Camilla

Dwier Brown

Phil

Carey Lowell

Kate

Brad Hall

Ned Runcie

Miguel Ferrer

Ralph Hess

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Synopsis

Optimistic about their future, well-off parents Kate (Carey Lowell) and Phil (Dwier Brown) hire the pleasant and lovely young Camilla (Jenny Seagrove) to live with them and care for their new baby. Though Camilla seems like an answer to their prayers, she proves to be more than she appears, and a diabolical plot involving the wellbeing of their child is uncovered. The young parents are forced to fight supernatural forces for the life of their vulnerable offspring.

Director: William Friedkin
Producer: Joe Wizan
Screenwriter: Stephen Volk, Dan Greenburg, William Friedkin
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Nanny Productions.
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $16.1M
Runtime: 1h 32m
Sound Mix: Surround

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