History YMMV / TheBadSeed

* NightmareFuel: Everything. About. Rhoda. EVERYTHING.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: There is plenty of debate over if Rhoda's sociopathy is really a "bad seed" or a product of her upbringing which is even a debate between characters in the book itself. Given her grandmother had a history of crime and she was raised in a rather upperclass home, one might tend to make her as a "bad seed". There is a position that turns criminality into a classist concept where bad people are raised in bad environments. Rhoda proves this theory wrong and thus is considered to be a bad seed via her genetics. Although the less spoken out loud idea is to TakeAThirdOption in that Rhoda is a completely a normal occurrence. It instead the society that doesn't want to admit this and prefer to pretend it is either a genetic failure or a nuturing failure. Which may just be some depressing TruthInTelevision as none of these discussions have found a way to stop there being real-life Rhodas.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: There is plenty of debate over if Rhoda's sociopathy is really a "bad seed" or a product of her upbringing which is even a debate between characters in the book itself. Given her grandmother had a history of crime and she was raised in a rather upperclass home, one might tend to make her as a "bad seed". Although we'd be remiss to just TakeAThirdOption in that Rhoda is as she is and neither a nature or nurture solution can hope to eliminate that. Which may just be some depressing TruthInTelevision as none of these arguments have found a way to stop there being real-life Rhodas.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: There is plenty of debate over if Rhoda's sociopathy is really a "bad seed" or a product of her upbringing via the debate within the book. However one could also argue in other contrasting views that Rhoda's behavior is not so much an inheritance or an influence but an alternative that no amount of upbringing or genetics will eliminate.

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* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The film pushes the question whether Rhoda's sociopathy is influenced by her serial killer grandmother's genes or from being spoiled rotten all her life, though more likely it's a combination of ''both''; her genes may have not affected her so much had she not been spoiled and led to believe she should have anything that she wants. Christine, after all, has those same genetics and turned out fine, relatively.
** Has Rhoda really been spoiled, at least by her parents? Christine tried to make Rhoda accept the loss of the medal graciously and seems concerned that Monica keeps showering Rhoda with gifts.

* [[HesJustHiding She's Just Hiding]]: We never do see Rhoda's body after the lightning strikes the pier, though that could be because of censorship at the time or the fact that that bolt of lightning incinerated her body to ash. There's also a splash in the water just off the pier about two seconds after the lightning bolt.

* [[HesJustHiding She's Just Hiding]]: We never do see Rhoda's body after the lightning strikes the pier, though that could be because of censorship at the time or the fact that that bolt of lightning incinerated her body to ash.

* NightmareFuel

* CompleteMonster: CreepyChild[=/=]EnfantTerrible Rhoda kills a classmate to get a medal he'd won, had earlier killed an old woman by "accidentally" bumping into her on the ice, sets a suspicious caretaker on fire and plots to kill a friendly neighbor to get her pet lovebirds.

** Has Rhoda really been spoiled, at least by her parents? Christine tried to make Rhoda accept the loss of the medal graciously; Kenneth insisted that she take care of her puppy herself, even if this interfered with her playtime.

* Has Rhoda really been spoiled, at least by her parents? Christine tried to make Rhoda accept the loss of the medal graciously; Kenneth insisted that she take care of her puppy herself, even if this interfered with her playtime.

* [[HesJustHiding She's Just Hiding]]: We never do see Rhoda's body after the lightning strikes the pier.

* CompleteMonster: CreepyChild/EnfantTerrible Rhoda kills a classmate to get a medal he'd won, had earlier killed an old woman by "accidentally" bumping into her on the ice, sets a suspicious caretaker on fire and plots to kill a friendly neighbor to get her pet lovebirds.

* CompleteMonster: Rhoda kills a classmate to get a medal he'd won, had earlier killed an old woman by "accidentally" bumping into her on the ice, sets a suspicious caretaker on fire and plots to kill a friendly neighbor to get her pet lovebirds.

* TheSociopath: Rhoda has neither conscience nor empathy and has no issues with killing to get what she wants.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The film pushes the question whether Rhoda's sociopathy is influenced by her serial killer grandmother's genes or from being spoiled rotten all her life, though more likely it's a combination of ''both''; her genes may have not affected her so much had she not been spoiled and led to believe she should have anything that she wants. Christine, after all, has those same genetics and turned out fine.

* [[SelfishGoodSelfishEvil Selfish Evil]]: Rhoda has neither conscience nor empathy and has no issues with killing to get what she wants.

* CompleteMonster: Rhoda is definitely one.

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel

* TheWoobie: Christine, and especially Mrs. Daigle, who only has vague suspicions about what really happened to her son that no one takes seriously.

* [[HesJustHiding She's Just Hinding]]: We never do see Rhoda's body after the lightning strikes the pier.

* [[HesJustHiding She's Just Hinding]]: We never do see Rhoda's body after the lightning strikes the peer.

* [[HesJustHiding She's Just Hinding]]: We never do see Rhoda's body after the lightning strikes the peer.

* HesJustHiding: We never do see Rhoda's body after the lightning strikes the peer.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The film pushes the question whether Rhoda's sociopathy is influenced by her serial killer grandmother's genes or from being spoiled rotten all her life, though more likely it's a combination of ''both''; her genes may have not affected her so much had she not been spoiled and led to believe she should have anything that she wants.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The film pushes the question whether Rhoda's sociopathy is influenced by [[spoiler: her serial killer grandmother's genes]] or from being spoiled rotten all her life, though more likely it's a combination of ''both''; her genes may have not affected her so much had she not been spoiled and led to believe she should have anything that she wants.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The film pushes the question whether Rhoda's sociopathy is influenced by [[spoiler: her serial killer grandmother's genes]] or from being spoiled rotten all her life.

* AdaptationDisplacement: More people know the movie than the play or the book.

* [[SelfishGoodSelfishEvil Selfish Evil]]: Rhoda has neither consciencen or empathy and has no issues with killing to get what she wants.