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The Haunting of Barney Palmer

1987Movie54 min

64
DecentGoodWatch score

An intriguing, tense family movie about fantasy and mystery.

Good for family movie night · friends night · kids

Where to watch

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Not for laughs.

Movies with

Story

The Haunting of Barney Palmer is a fantasy film for children about a young boy who is haunted by his great uncle. Young Barney fears that he has inherited the Scholar family curse; a suite of 80s-era effects ramp up the supernatural suspense. The film was a co-production between PBS (United States) and Wellington's Gibson Group, which resulted in Ned Beatty (Deliverance, Network) being cast. It was written by Margaret Mahy, based on her Carnegie Award-winning novel The Haunting, and an early fruitful collaboration between her and director Yvonne Mackay.

Feels like

  • Fantasy
  • Children's Film
  • Family Drama
  • Haunting
  • Mystery
  • Supernatural Suspense
  • Psychological
  • Nostalgic

Cast

Crew

Directed by
Yvonne Mackay
Written by
Margaret Mahy
Produced by
Dave Gibson
Music by
Jenny McLeod

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

March 28, 1987 · 54 min · Family, Mystery, Fantasy

Released
March 28, 1987
Runtime
54 min
Genres
Family, Mystery, Fantasy
Original language
English
Made in
New Zealand
Available in
7 countries

Q&A

4 questions, like "Where can I stream The Haunting of Barney Palmer?"

Questions about The Haunting of Barney Palmer

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Haunting of Barney Palmer?

In the United States, The Haunting of Barney Palmer streams on Prime, and it is free with ads on Fawesome and Tubi TV. It also streams in 4 other countries.

Is The Haunting of Barney Palmer worth watching?

64
DecentGoodWatch score

Opinions are mixed, with a GoodWatch score of 64 (IMDb 5.9).

Is The Haunting of Barney Palmer okay for kids?

Yes: the viewing guide lists it for kids.

Will The Haunting of Barney Palmer scare me?

Not scaryTerrifying

At times: scares are rated 6 of 10.