SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK (1991): THE STEPHEN KING TV MOVIE THAT HAUNTS HARDER THAN IT SHOULD

By Sammy, Knife in the Dark’s resident King scholar and reformed bully victim (thanks, childhood trauma!)

🎒 INTRODUCTION: WHEN STEPHEN KING’S REVENGE FANTASY GETS A LEATHER JACKET

Let’s address the greaser-shaped elephant in the room—Sometimes They Come Back isn’t The Shining or Carrie. This 1991 TV movie adaptation of King’s 1974 short story shouldn’t work as well as it does. It’s got network censorship, a microbudget, and a premise that sounds like Christine meets Stand By Me on sedatives. Yet here we are, 30+ years later, still side-eyeing empty parking lots whenever we hear a motorcycle rev.

As someone who once hid in a locker for three hours after watching this (middle school was rough), I’m here to dissect why this underrated gem still claws its way into your psyche—with Tim Matheson’s traumatized teacher performance leading the charge.

🏚️ THE PLOT: UNFINISHED BUSINESS IN A BLOOD-SOAKED LETTERMAN JACKET

Act 1: The Past That Won’t Die

• Jim Norman (Matheson): A high school teacher with serious baggage, returning to his hometown like a glutton for punishment.
• The Trauma: His brother Wayne was murdered by greaser bullies in 1963. Now, decades later, those same punks are reappearing—same jackets, same sneers, same dead eyes.
• Sammy’s Take: “This is why you never go home again. Also, why you should never trust a dude with a pompadour.”

Act 2: The Classroom of Nightmares

• The Gaslighting: Jim’s new students include the reborn bullies, who smirk through lessons like they’re picking out his coffin.
• The Rules: These undead thugs play dirty—disappearing in mirrors, leaving oil-stained handprints, and smelling like a mechanic’s afterlife.
• Sammy’s Note: “The real horror? Grading papers for kids who literally won’t stay dead.”

Act 3: The Exorcism-by-Fireaxe

• The Twist: To defeat them, Jim must confront his guilt (and maybe light a few things on fire).
• The Climax: A showdown in the school’s boiler room that’s part The Outsiders, part Hellraiser.
• Sammy’s Verdict: “The ‘90s equivalent of a ghost train—cheesy, janky, and weirdly effective.”

👹 WHY IT STICKS IN YOUR BRAIN LIKE A SWITCHBLADE

1. TIM MATHESON’S MASTERCLASS IN MIDLIFE TERROR

• Matheson (yes, Animal House’s Otter) sells Jim’s unraveling without chewing scenery. His panic attacks feel lived-in.
• Standout Scene: The “They’re in my class?!” freakout—a perfect cocktail of denial and primal fear.

2. WILLIAM SANDERSON’S CREEPY-AS-HELL GREASER

• As the ringleader, Carl, Sanderson (Blade Runner’s J.F. Sebastian) is all slicked-back menace. His grin says “I’ll stab you and monologue about it.”
• Sammy’s Observation: “He’s like if the Fonz sold his soul to Satan and kept the jacket.”

3. THE TV-MOVIE CONSTRAINTS (WHICH SOMEHOW HELP)

• No gore? No problem. The horror thrives on:
  • Eerie lighting (every hallway looks like a David Lynch reject)
  • Sound design (engine revs = jump scares)
  • Uncanny aging (these “teens” look forty)

4. THAT TITLE THEME (A SYNTHY MASTERPIECE)

• Composer Terry Plumeri’s score is John Carpenter meets soap opera—haunting and weirdly catchy.
• Sammy’s Humble Request: “Someone put this on Spotify so I can angst-walk to it.”

📚 KING CONNECTIONS: WHERE IT FITS IN THE CANON

• Short Story Roots: The original tale is barebones—King’s Cycle of the Werewolf collaborator McLoughlin expands it smartly.
• Shared Themes: Guilt, childhood trauma, and the horror of small towns (aka King’s bread and butter).
• Sammy’s Hot Take: “It’s Storm of the Century for people who miss Christine.”

🚬 THE GREASER GHOSTS: HORROR’S MOST UNDERRATED BADDIES

Why They Work: They’re not zombies or demons—just eternal assholes, which is way scarier.

🎥 HOW TO WATCH IT (LIKE IT’S 1991 AGAIN)

1. Lighting: One (1) flickering lamp (bonus: a literal oil stain for ambiance).
2. Snacks: Greasy diner food (burgers, fries, regret).
3. Pause Breaks: Every time a greaser smirks (you’ll need them).
4. Post-Movie Ritual: Burn any leather jackets in your closet.

💀 FINAL VERDICT: A TV MOVIE THAT PUNCHES ABOVE ITS WEIGHT

Sometimes They Come Back has no right being this unsettling. It’s hamstrung by its era and format, yet Matheson’s performance + the greasers’ eerie presence = a slow-burn nightmare. It’s the horror equivalent of finding a dead roach in your yearbook—small-scale, personal, and impossible to forget.

— Sammy
Currently side-eyeing any dude in a leather jacket

🔥📺 PS: IF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL REUNION INVITE SAYS “CASUAL ATTIRE,” IT’S A TRAP. 📺🔥