a shade of atmosphere. With every jump scare or blood splatter, it feels like it should build, but the tension all but evaporates whenever a slow motion dramatic moment is introduced." Film scholar Mark Browning gave the film a middling review, criticizing it for its failure to "ground" the religious community of He Who Walks Behind the Rows. Browning also praised Watts's performance and noted that "a few images might remain with viewers", but ultimately deemed the film "highly derivative without any sense of wit or irony". John Kenneth Muir, writing in Horror Films of the 1990s, notes that the film's "idea of a supernatural sickness (based on an old crime) is interesting, and a relief from all the pseudo-religious claptrap of the other Children of the Corn films. No one will ever make the mistake that The Gathering is a great movie, but you won't hate yourself for spending time with it." See also Children of the Corn (film series) List of adaptations of works by Stephen King References Sources External links 1996 direct-to-video films 1996 horror films Children of Corn 4 Children of the Corn 1990s English-language films Films about religion American slasher films Direct-to-video horror films Films about cults Films set in Nebraska Films shot in Austin, Texas Direct-to-video sequel films 1996 films Miramax films Dimension Films films Agoraphobia in fiction Films about infectious diseases 1990s American films