The Return (1980): cast, story & where to watch
1980 · Film · ★ 6
Released in 1980, The Return is a thriller, mystery and science fiction film directed by Greydon Clark, running about 86 minutes.
What it’s about. Two young children and an adult in a small town have an encounter with an alien spaceship. 25 years later the children are reunited as adults in the same town which is now beset by strange cattle mutilations. Matters become worse when the cattle mutilations are joined by human murders and mutilations.
Who’s in it. The Return stars Jan-Michael Vincent as Wayne, Cybill Shepherd as Jennifer, Martin Landau as Niles Buchanan and Raymond Burr as Dr. Kramer, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, The Return has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, YouTube TV and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, YouTube and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Return page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Return tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, Parasite and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Return (1980)?
- In US, The Return is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Philo and YouTube TV, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and YouTube. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Return worth watching?
- The Return holds an audience score of 6.0 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy thriller, mystery and science fiction. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Return?
- The Return stars Jan-Michael Vincent, Cybill Shepherd, Martin Landau, Raymond Burr and Neville Brand.
- When was The Return released?
- The Return was released in 1980, with a runtime of about 86 minutes.