Children of Darkness Poster

Children of Darkness (1983)

Jan 01, 1983 Documentary 0h 57m
69%
User Score
7.9/10

Overview

A significant number of American children and teenagers - from all social backgrounds - suffer from mental disorders, schizophrenia, autism and emotional problems, leading them to isolation from society while treating their issues in mental health facilities. But there's no end in sight for those young individuals when they face obstacles and mistreatment in inadequate places under the supervision of careless and inexperienced professionals. The documentary follows some of those public mental institutions and another private center dealing with troubled kids and reveals what's wrong with their procedures, and the irreparable harm they cause in those patients.

Ara Chekmayan
Writer
Richard Kotuk
Writer

Top Billed Cast

Peter Thomas
Peter Thomas

Narrator (voice)
Richard Kotuk
Richard Kotuk

Self - Reporter
John Brooks
John Brooks

Self
Billy Calhoun
Billy Calhoun

Self
Mary Calhoun
Mary Calhoun

Self
Gerald Davidson
Gerald Davidson

Self
Alice Dunn
Alice Dunn

Self
Kenneth Kaufman
Kenneth Kaufman

Self
Brian Mcanally
Brian Mcanally

Self

Full Cast & Crew

Media

Children of Darkness
Children of Darkness
Trailer
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Reviews

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A review by CinemaSerf
Written on June 21, 2025

Statistically, there are some seriously scary numbers quoted here as we spend an hour with some of the seven million American kids who have some sort of learning or behavioural difficulties. Initially, we visit Pennsylvania’s Eastern State School - the largest in the nation - that cares for over 150 young people with a budget of $13.5 million which roughly equates to just shy of $85,000 to feed, house and medicate each resident. It’s the lively Brian who is the poignant focus here, a lad whose behaviour vacillates from the friendly and charming to the violently temperamental and it’s that latter type of behaviour that illustrates that this establishment relies heavily on drugs to becalm and control those living here. There are other techniques employed elsewhere, and to Maine we head...

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