- We have been presented with a gift in this town.
It felt like
I was visited.
I don't trust them.
Joe, look at me!
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
- The children are controlling you.
You don't love us.
You think we're bad.
- No. We can live together.
You can live here.
And if anything goes wrong?
Then I will bear the blame.
- I'm going to have a little sister.
♪♪♪
[ Birds chirping ]
[ Ethereal tune plays ]
♪♪♪
- ♪ Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St Clements ♪
♪ You owe me five farthings, say the bells of St Martins ♪
♪ When will you pay me? say the bells of Old Bailey ♪
♪ When I grow rich, say the bells of Shoreditch ♪
♪ When will that be? say the bells of Stepney ♪
♪ I do not know, say the great bells of Bow ♪
♪ Here comes a candle to light you to bed ♪
♪ And here comes a chopper to chop off your head ♪
♪ Chip, chop ♪
♪ Chip ♪
♪ Chop ♪
♪♪♪
♪ Chip ♪
[ Rapid gunfire ]
♪♪♪
[ Women vocalising eerily ]
♪♪♪
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
- Morning Evie. - Morning. [ Chuckle ]
Okay?
Right, here's your breakfast, love.
Okay.
Erm, do you want to take some biscuits with you?
Chocolate, please.
- I think we might actually only have ginger.
Ginger's fine.
There you go, my angel.
♪♪♪
Morning Carol.
Morning, Dr Zellaby.
- How long have we been doing this?
It's Susannah, please.
- Sorry. Susannah.
They're waiting for you, with Mr Westcott.
- I didn't know Mr Westcott was here.
- Yes, he came on the first train.
- Firstly, I wanted to congratulate you
on the speed of the children's development.
Yes, they're doing well.
They're doing better than that.
They're outgrowing older brothers and sisters.
They're five, but look and behave
like highly gifted ten-year-olds.
Their mind is, uh, akin
to a remarkable piece of machine learning.
- Yes, but they're not a machine, are they Mr Westcott?
They're living beings, just like you and I.
- Well, I'm wondering if it's time
to understand them better.
- What's that? - I'd like to take
a couple of the children for some more advanced testing
at one of our research centres.
It should only take a day.
At a military base?
Outside of the town?
A couple of hours' drive away.
It's a pilot project.
If it goes well, we might do more.
- They -- They won't let you do that.
We think they may.
- With respect, Mr Westcott, you haven't been here.
The children have never left Midwich.
They feel safe here. They won't leave.
- As I understand it, the children have been asking
- what lies beyond. - [ Scoff ]
Asking who?
They came to us at Ward 300.
Why didn't they talk to me?
- Perhaps, they didn't want to upset you.
♪♪♪
You are a man.
I am a machine.
Other than that slight difference,
we have a great deal in common.
[ Beeping ]
What is it, big brother?
- I don't want to stay at Dad's this weekend.
I don't want you to, either.
But your dad needs to see you.
I wish he wasn't my dad.
I wish I was like you.
[ Beeping ]
Come on.
[ Beeping ]
We should look at this.
Come from here.
Vroom...
[ Gasp ] [Both] Oh, no!
- The airport closed. - The airport closed.
- Oh, no! - Can we open the door?
- No. - Just really, really,
- one little bite. - One little bite.
- Ah. - Ah. - [ Gasp ]
- Mmm! - Yay!
- Good girl. - Very good.
- You ready, Dad? - [ Coughing ]
We're late.
- Sure. Yeah, ready and willing.
Have a good day, love.
[ Smooch ]
Goodbye, Ellie.
Bye.
David, get in the bloody van!
I don't want to go!
- David, I will not tell you again!
But I want to stay with Mum.
Just a second, babe.
- [ Squealing ] - David, get in the bloody van.
I don't want to go!
[ Coos ]
It's only until Tuesday, David.
David, get in the van!
- Bye, David. - You, you shut up, you!
Don't touch him!
Get in.
Ignore him, Hannah.
[Indistinct]
Remember what Susannah said.
Curtis doesn't represent any of us.
[ Van door slams ]
♪♪♪
Feel free to experiment a bit.
We don't have to be too faithful to what you see.
Go on, Nathan.
Express yourself, hmm?
What's wrong?
- I have to do some tests at Ward 300 on Monday.
Erm, who says?
Uncle Paul.
He'll pick me up from home.
Well, that's okay, isn't it?
Okay.
That's really good.
- You're sure you're okay about this?
We trust you.
But this wasn't my idea.
If you'd come to me, I-I could've planned it.
We could've talked about it at our weekly meeting.
Don't be angry, Granny.
I'm glad you're coming.
- I-I'm not angry.
I just --
Well, I wouldn't be here if I hadn't insisted.
[ Vehicle doors open ]
[ Door slams ]
♪♪♪
[ Four doors slam ]
♪♪♪
- Okay, team, computers off, please.
♪♪♪
David!
David?
[ Beeping ]
David!
[ Beeping ]
Ah, so this is where you are.
- -You are a man. I am a machine. - Come on.
- We're already late for school. - Other than that
- slight difference... - Turn it off, mate. Let's go.
- Why don't you live at home anymore,
with Mum and Joe?
[ Beeping ]
You know why.
[ Beeping ]
- So the Incas should not have trusted the Spanish.
- Well, there's a school of thought that says
history is the victory of the ruthless over the naive.
And, certainly, the Spanish consciously chose not
to coexist with the indigenous population.
- But you are choosing to coexist with us.
Yes, Connor,
because history changes and humans learn.
We learnt about you, you learnt about us.
and now, we live happily together.
[ Rotors whirring ]
Case in point.
Turn to the right.
Right turn.
- [ Chanting ] Right, right.
[ Chanting ]
Present arms.
Present...arms!
1, 2, 3!
Present arms.
Present...arms!
1, 2, 3!
Welcome to Winthorpe.
1, 2, 3, 1!
What is this place?
- Two hundred soldiers are based here.
It's kept out of the public eye as much as possible,
so it's perfect for our purposes.
The research station is there.
If it's all right with you children, we'll go there now.
Nothing scary -- couple of brain scans,
some IQ tests, that sort of thing.
Of course.
1, 2, 3, 1!
- 1! - 1, 2, 3, 1!
- I'm afraid it's a limited access area.
But we'll be back soon.
- 1! - 1, 2, 3, 1!
[ Beeping ]
[ Error alert beeps ]
[ Rattling ]
1, 2, 3, 4.
[ Sigh ]
What are they doing in there?
What tests?
Why aren't we allowed in?
I have no idea.
- 1! - 1, 2, 3, 4.
- They told you nothing about this?
- I heard half an hour before you did.
[ Sigh ]
So much for no more secrets.
What does he want with them, Paul?
♪♪♪
[ Whirring ]
[ Electricity zaps, frequency warbles ]
[ Static ]
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
[ Frequency warbling ]
♪♪♪
[ Thud ]
♪♪♪
[ Creaking ]
♪♪♪
[ Beeping ]
♪♪♪
[ Electricity zaps, gate creaks ]
[ Beeping ]
♪♪♪
[ Frequency warbling ]
♪♪♪
[ Frequency warbling, static ]
♪♪♪
[ Warbling intensifies ]
♪♪♪
[ Gasp ]
♪♪♪
[ Beep ]
[ Panting ]
♪♪♪
[ Rapid gunfire ]
- 1, 2, 3, 1! - [Indistinct]
♪♪♪
[ Chanting ] Left, right, left, right,
left, right, left.
[ Vehicle passes ] Left, right, left, right,
left, right, left.
You okay?
Yeah.
♪♪♪
1, 2, 3, 4.
- Left, right, left, right, left, right, left.
[ Marching footsteps ]
Change.
David, I'm back.
[ Key clatters ]
David.
David, you here?
David?
David, mate!
David, come out now.
David!
♪♪♪
David, I am not angry at you.
- [ Shallow breathing ] - David!
David, come out now!
[ Shuddering ]
David!
♪♪♪
David!
♪♪♪
[ Panting ]
♪♪♪
David!
David?
David.
What's it?
What's happened to you?
David, look at me. Look at me.
[ Hyperventilating ]
What's happened to him?!
- Let me just see him. - Curtis.
- What -- What are you doing?!
- Calm down Curtis. - Let me comfort my son!
- [ Buzzer ] - David! David! - Curtis!
You can't be here.
How did you let this happen?
- What did you do?! - [ Grunts ]
- What the fuck are you talking about?! - Get him out of here.
David!
Get him to the station, now.
- You okay? - Yeah.
- [ Buzzer ] - Can I talk to David?
You remember Dr Zellaby, David?
Has he eaten anything?
Nothing yet.
Thank you.
[ Chair scraping floor ]
Hello, David.
I just wanted to have
a quick chat with you
about what happened with your dad.
You went to school.
Do you remember leaving?
- [ Faintly ] School.
Did you go home to your dad?
School.
- Yes, that's right, you --
you went to school and then you left.
[ Frequency warbling ]
School.
Oh, my baby.
David?
[ Crying ] Please.
Who are you?
Oh, no.
♪♪♪
[ Continues crying ]
- He remembers nothing of his parents,
nothing of his life.
It's like he's no longer there.
- In some abuse cases, memory's suppressed.
It could be the --
- Curtis? - Yeah.
Yeah, it's not.
Something happened at Winthorpe.
We both know it.
Yeah, but what?
- All I know is that they're lying to us.
♪♪♪
Act like you know nothing.
Make them believe that you're their friend
and find out what they're planning.
♪♪♪
Don't say anything to Bryony.
I don't trust her.
[ Scoff ] I don't trust a single one of them.
Oh.
Hello.
- Hey! Come in.
Sorry for the mess.
This is, er,
this is nice.
- [ Scoff ] I'm trying.
Listen, the reason I called.
Yesterday,
Nathan and I weren't at Ward 300.
We were at a military base in the countryside.
Erm, we were -- we were told to keep it a secret, but,
I just -- I don't want to lie to you anymore.
Erm,
why did you go there?
- They said it was just for tests.
But I don't believe them.
Now, a few days ago, I thought we had this under control.
Now, I don't know anything.
I don't understand.
Why wouldn't Nathan tell me?
- Have you noticed anything in his behaviour recently?
Hey, mate.
♪♪♪
I don't want to leave you.
♪♪♪
[ Creaking ]
♪♪♪
[ Beeping ]
♪♪♪
- I just found this at the school.
I saw David there the other day.
The day I passed out.
You told anyone?
Not yet.
Right, then don't.
Just throw it away, get rid of it.
- What? - Please.
We have Ellie now.
That is all we have to think about.
♪♪♪
Why is she still here?
She won't leave.
She stayed all night.
- You made a mistake, letting him live.
He won't say anything.
It's a risk for the project.
Trust us.
They think it's the father.
We know what we're doing.
♪♪♪
- Come on. Come on, sweetheart.
♪♪♪
Here we go, love.
♪♪♪
- Want anything else? - Strawberry jam.
♪♪♪
[ Ring ]
Rachel?
Susannah!
I'm coming to you now.
It's them.
- Rachel? - There we go, sweetheart.
Rachel, what's them?
♪♪♪
[ Frequency warbling ]
Evie?
[ Door closes ]
♪♪♪
Morning, love.
Where are you off to?
[ Door opens ]
[ Door closes ]
♪♪♪
- It's okay, baby. It's okay.
I'm so sorry. It's okay.
♪♪♪
I'm taking you somewhere safe.
♪♪♪
[ Gasp ] [ Tires screeching ]
♪♪♪
[ Gasp ]
♪♪♪
[ Frequency warbling ]
♪♪♪
[ Frequency warbling ]
♪♪♪
[ Engine revs, clicking ]
[ Frequency warbling ]
[ Gasp ] [ Engine revs ]
♪♪♪
[ Steam hissing ]
♪♪♪
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Thank you.
My name is Bernard Westcott
and I represent Her Majesty's government.
As governing authority,
I would like to accept full responsibility
for what happened here
yesterday morning.
We let this happen on our watch.
As a result,
the children no longer feel safe in Midwich.
- Sorry, the children don't feel safe?
- Stewart. - Please. Thank you.
- Now, all they did was defend themselves.
That's right.
- You really believe that? - If we can just take
- a moment. - She drove right at them.
She tried to kill them.
It's on camera.
Two years ago, we were assured
this kind of thing would never happen again.
Dr Zellaby negotiated a truce.
It wasn't us that broke it.
- A truce is an arrangement between enemies.
Is that what we are?
- Now, Rachel was out of her mind.
- She hadn't slept. - That's right.
Give it a break, Cass.
What do you mean?
Rachel didn't deserve that,
whatever she did.
They're children, Nora,
and they're ours.
They're not children.
At least, not in a way that I can understand.
- [ Scoffing ] What would you know about it, Stewart?
You never wanted yours, in the first place.
Well, I don't want mine now.
Jane.
No, it's too much.
I've spent five years colluding with their will,
convincing myself these are God's creatures.
You're nothing of the kind!
Are you?
You enabled this.
You told us we could trust them.
[ Murmuring ]
If I may continue.
Having consulted with the children,
it seems prudent
to arrange their staggered departure from Midwich.
- Hold on a second. What -- What are you talking about?
- The children will cease attending the school
with immediate effect
and plans will be made to ensure smooth transition
from their current homes to a government facility.
Susannah, what is going on?
- The children don't want to leave
and -- and they're not going to, all right?
Tell them, Evie. Tell them! You --
Tell them that you want to stay.
Evie!
♪♪♪
Cassie.
[ Slam ]
Cassie!
[ Crying ]
Cassie!
Cassie, they lied to me, too.
They've deceived all of us.
- Did you take them to that place, on that day?
Yeah.
♪♪♪
[ Indistinct conversation ]
- The judge threw out our application
for Curtis Saunders' detention.
All right, let him go.
But David stays in Ward 300, under our care.
No visitors.
Not until the children leave.
Mum's upset.
We all are.
Can you talk to her?
- I don't think she's interested in talking to me at the moment.
We're sorry about Rachel.
We had no choice.
She tried to kill us.
- And why would she try to do that?
I don't know.
But now we have to leave.
I thought I knew you, Evie.
I really did.
There is no me, Granny.
No?
No.
Sometimes I'm Evie
and sometimes I'm Connor or Sunny.
No, I don't believe that.
Take that ice cream, for example.
You always have that flavour,
only you, because you like it.
Very much.
- So why can't we be special to you like that,
me and Mummy?
- You're not an ice cream, Granny.
- No, we are your flesh and blood.
We should be a thousand times more important than that.
[ Crying ] Evie, I really hoped
that, by -- by living here with us,
you would start to enjoy the differences between you.
Difference causes problems.
- No. [ Sniffle ]
Difference gives us meaning.
We don't agree with that.
- Your mother is going to miss you so much.
She won't.
None of you will.
♪♪♪
[ Door opens ]
♪♪♪
Daddy.
[ Clatter ]
♪♪♪
- What were you talking to Mummy about,
yesterday morning, before I went out?
Nothing, Hannah.
Just about Ellie's new nursery.
♪♪♪
Listen, Curtis.
The government have a care order still active against you.
Now, it stops you from seeing David.
Now, if you -- if you want to live with your son again,
you -- you really must do what I say.
Okay?
I'm serious.
There are things going on here that
neither you nor I understand.
[ Crying ]
[ Sobbing ]
[ Door closes ]
♪♪♪
- Yeah, sure. I'll, er --
Of course. I'll meet you there.
Erm --
Listen I have to go to a meeting up at the hospital.
What, now?
- It-It's an emergency.
About the departure.
[ Whispering ] Listen,
Cassie, there are things I have to tell you,
things about Evie,
- about Rachel. - What?
- Tell me, then. - I--
I will tell you everything when I get home.
I promise.
10:00.
10:00, I'll be back.
♪♪♪
- He made me promise only to tell you.
He doesn't want Zoe to know he said anything.
Where did he find it?
Round by the cellars.
The outside cellar door is locked,
but I have the front keys.
♪♪♪
[ Lock clicking ]
[ Creaking ]
♪♪♪
- You know, David --
David kept saying, "School. School,"
and I-I thought he meant his own.
♪♪♪
Now, something did happen here.
[ Electricity crackling ]
Wait here.
♪♪♪
What are you two doing here?
Why are you here, Mr Haynes?
- The cleaner found this in the cellar.
It belongs to David Saunders.
You know anything about this?
You sure?
We're sure.
You should probably give us those keys, now, Mr Haynes.
Don't tell me what to do.
[ Frequency warbling ]
♪♪♪
[ Clatter ]
[ Keys jingling ]
Are you alone?
- No, I've got a full SWAT team with me.
What do you think?
You're funny.
♪♪♪
[ Gasp ]
[ Door creaks, slams ]
[ Lock clicking ]
[ Keys jingling ]
We like you, Mr Haynes.
We don't want to hurt you.
But you come with us now.
Evie, what's wrong?
♪♪♪
We're going out.
Tell no one.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I need to talk to you.
Not now.
[ Frequency warbling ]
♪♪♪
Evie.
Evie, come back!
[ Crying ] Evie come back, now!
Evie!
♪♪♪
[ Doors close ]
♪♪♪
[ Engine idling ]
- Nathan will stay with you tonight.
Don't tell anyone about this.
Don't leave the house again.
What are you going to do?
When you leave Midwich.
- This will be over soon, Mr Haynes.
Just stay out of it.
Where are you going?
You just missed our turn.
Back to the school.
You can't go to the school.
They'll know I'm helping you.
What are you doing?
Why would you do that?!
So they can't listen.
The pain blocks them.
♪♪♪
- This is Susannah. I'm afraid I can't take your call
- Fuck! - right now. Please leave a message.
- [ Beep ] - Yeah, hi. Erm, it's me.
Er --
Evie's gone and I don't --
Yeah, I don't know what to do, so can you --
can you just give me a call back, when you get this?
[ Sniffle ]
My name's Cassie Stone.
I'm just -- I'm just calling
about my mother. [ Sniffle ]
Erm, she was meant to have a late meeting there tonight
and I was just checking in.
- There was no meeting here tonight.
[ Water running ]
♪♪♪
[ Ring ]
♪♪♪
[ Ring ] [ Beep ]
[ Clatter ]
♪♪♪
[ Sniffle ]
♪♪♪
[ Vibrating, ringing ]
[ Gasp ]
[ Vibrating, ringing ]
[ Vibrating ]
Hey, stranger.
Shop's open.
What can I get you?
♪♪♪
[ Shudders ]
[ Footsteps approach ]
[ Squeaking ]
[ Gasp ]
[ Ring ]
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
[ Clang, lock clicking ]
[ Shudders ]
♪♪♪
[ Women vocalising eerily ]
♪♪♪