This movie was lacking in both suspense and b movie fun. I saw this on a rented VHS in early 90s. There's just nothing really scary about the tree. Even worse is that a great director like Friedkin (the exorcist, bug, killer Joe, rules of engagement, the French connection). can't bring any tension from anything but quite a bit of nudity and some extremely gory scenes. I hated this movie. Not only is it a chore to sit through with the tedious pace, its inexplicably stupid as well. We are given no proper explanation as to why all these events are transpiring, nor do they bother to tell us why a damn tree is wreaking all this havoc. We also get no proper character development. I think a nanny bathing with a baby naked would be questionable. This movie contained such annoying nonsense. The movie has Carey Lowell (licence to kill). Dwier Brown (the house 1 n 2, red dragon). Jenny Seagrove. Miguel Ferrer (iron man 3, Robocop, night flier).

You know that when a movie begins with the introduction..."For thousands of years a religious order known as the Druids worshipped trees, sometimes even sacrificing human beings to them. To these worshippers, every tree has it's guardian spirit. Most are aligned with goodness and life, but some embody powers of darkness and evil." ...that it's probably not going to suck. And Friedkin certainly doesn't disappoint with this underrated cult gem (does he ever!?).Basically, an immortalized witch has made a pact- through sexual union- with a dark entity that resides in a giant old tree. In exchange for a youthful longevity, she must provide the tree with offerings in the form of a child under the age of 4 months (prior to some sort of metamorphic shift in the child's blood occurring). When presented to the tree, the child-offering is absorbed into it- as if carved into it.In order to obtain these child sacrifices, this woman- Camilla- uses stolen identities to garner herself positions, as a Nanny, through childcare agencies. And she has just been hired by the family we are following in this film.When she's not caring for the child,- or seducing the husband- Camilla is out having lustful intercourse with the tree, which is indicative of her reverence for, and union with, it. The tree also kills people. Yep, it's a killer tree that f*cks.And The kills are badass!!! Although there are not enough of them, in my personal opinion...the way it takes out that trio of rapists is amazing.I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially near the end when everything get's all evil dead-like (buddy even looks a bit like Ash when covered in blood and wielding that chainsaw)! The tree monster, though sparsely used, is pretty awesome. And there is just enough gore to keep interested through all the drama. Decent film! 6.5 out of 10.

Jenny Seagrove is an attractive nanny who is actually a wicked druid tree priestess who needs the life-forces of newborn infants in order to preserve her powers (or something like that) in William Friedkin's failed but decent horror/thriller. Proud new parents, Jill and Kate think that their new nanny is the perfect woman until their friends start getting murdered and conspiracies about missing babies start to unfold. Due to plot contrivances and muddled intentions that make the action seem at times preposterous, this is considered by many as Friedkin's most worthless effort. Although, if folk/horror combined with some good, moody suspenseful kills and plenty of blood and eroticism, you won't go wrong. The film's best scene has an inquiring neighbor surrounded and circled by ravenous coyotes through his lavish, decor house just before he's ripped to pieces. Seagrove heads a pretty good cast if not always believable, but what do you expect from a story about a tree-witch that steals babies anyway? Enjoy it for what it is.

Somewhat creepy horror movie with a supernatural edge to it, kind of a more horror oriented "Hand that Rocks the Cradle". Basically, a couple with their first child hires a nanny with a very dark and disturbing secret. She has chosen this baby for a reason and it is not to simply make it hers. As far as horror movies it is somewhat good, it has some gore, a couple of tense scenes and some nudity. However, if you watch the cut version of this movie the whole thing changes to the point almost all the scares and creepy stuff is taken out. They seem to completely edit over the first scene involving the baby taken to the tree, a scene later with the mother makes it out that the child survived and is safe and sound. The regular version is not so chipper. The ending is screwed up to as it ends earlier and they basically cut out the final scene. I realize that you want to cut out some stuff so you can show your movie on the happy time family network, but in the end you should not edit a movie to the point its plot and meaning change. So for an okay horror movie with some creepy scenes and such give this movie a shot, for a pedestrian movie with basically no scares and all creepiness removed try and find the cut version of the film.