Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- grim
- tense
- dread-filled
- late night horror viewing
- true crime marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film uneven and exploitative, praising some murder-scene tension and Ben Johnson's performance while faulting its thin drama and unsatisfying resolution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film chronicles the Texarkana Moonlight Murders with altered names and details while adopting a fake-documentary presentation.
Captain J.D. Morales and Deputy Norman Ramsey investigate killings while police and residents become increasingly unsettled.
The hooded killer's identity, motive, and ultimate fate are left unknown.
The serial killings disrupt Texarkana's postwar celebrations and generate fear among citizens and police.
Films like The Town That Dreaded Sundown, and why
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
proto-slasher structure, serial-killer mystery, graphic murder set pieces, and small-town panic
The Zodiac
true-crime-inspired serial-killer investigation, procedural framing, and exploitation horror
Black Christmas
mysterious masked killer, stalking suspense, and graphic slasher violence
Maniac
crime-horror procedural centered on an unidentified killer and public fear
Movie Details
- Director
- Charles B. Pierce
- Release Date
- 1976-12-24
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (229)
Cast
- Ben Johnson
- Andrew Prine
- Dawn Wells
- Jimmy Clem
- Jim Citty
- Charles B. Pierce
- Robert Aquino
- Cindy Butler
- Christine Ellsworth
- Earl E. Smith
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Town That Dreaded Sundown about?
- A fictionalized true-crime horror procedural follows Texarkana police as a hooded killer turns postwar celebration into a cycle of nocturnal terror.
- What is The Town That Dreaded Sundown like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Town That Dreaded Sundown as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Town That Dreaded Sundown violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Town That Dreaded Sundown as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Town That Dreaded Sundown?
- Critics broadly found the film uneven and exploitative, praising some murder-scene tension and Ben Johnson's performance while faulting its thin drama and unsatisfying resolution.
- Which films are like The Town That Dreaded Sundown?
- Films with a similar feel include The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Zodiac, Black Christmas, and Maniac.
- How long is The Town That Dreaded Sundown?
- The Town That Dreaded Sundown runs 86 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Town That Dreaded Sundown?
- In United States, The Town That Dreaded Sundown streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
