Children Of The Damned (1964)

Set in London, six children from six different nations (China, India, Nigeria, Soviet Union, England, USA) are identified by a team of UNESCO researchers as having an extraordinary intellectual capacity. A psychologist (Ian Hendry) and a geneticist (Alan Badel) focus on the British child (Clive Powell) who seems to be their leader. Directed by Anton Leader, a prolific television director who only directed one other film. This sequel to VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1960) isn't a patch on the original movie but it's absorbing for most of its running time. Unfortunately, the film makers paint themselves into a corner and there's nowhere for it to go so the last twenty minutes or so are pretty pointless. The children here aren't purely malevolent as the children were in the 1960 film, they retaliate only when they are threatened. But we never find out the origin or reason of their existence. As science fiction movies go, this one is alright but never lives up to its possibilities. With Barbara Ferris, Albert Burke and Patrick Wymark.