Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Graphic
- foreboding
- eerie
- campy
- late night horror marathon
- 1990s horror retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film visually effective in places but undermined by implausible plotting, inconsistent evil, weak tension, and horror clichés.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Camilla is welcomed into Phil and Kate Sterling’s home as Jake’s babysitter before her inhuman nature and plans for the infant emerge.
Camilla becomes part of the family while Ned’s investigation reveals that she is not quite human.
Contemporary criticism specifically highlights eerie settings, zigzag camera angles, offbeat colored lighting, and elaborate tree effects.
The film’s supernatural menace includes killer trees, man-eating vegetation, and coniferous chainsaw carnage.
Films like The Guardian, and why
The Omen
supernatural horror centered on an apparently trustworthy caregiver threatening a vulnerable family
The Exorcist
domestic supernatural horror that turns parental anxiety and family protection into monstrous threat
The Witches
stylized occult horror involving unnatural forces, unsettling imagery, and escalating bodily danger
Movie Details
- Director
- William Friedkin
- Release Date
- 1990-04-27
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (222)
Cast
- Jenny Seagrove
- Dwier Brown
- Carey Lowell
- Brad Hall
- Miguel Ferrer
- Natalija Nogulich
- Pamela Brull
- Gary Swanson
- Jack David Walker
- Willy Parsons
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Guardian about?
- A seemingly devoted babysitter brings an ancient supernatural menace into a young family’s home and targets their infant son.
- What is The Guardian like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Guardian as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Guardian violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Guardian as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Guardian?
- Critics broadly found the film visually effective in places but undermined by implausible plotting, inconsistent evil, weak tension, and horror clichés.
- Which films are like The Guardian?
- Films with a similar feel include The Omen, The Exorcist, and The Witches.
- How long is The Guardian?
- The Guardian runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Guardian?
- In United States, The Guardian is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
