I watched this a few years ago on Shudder (truly one of the great streaming services), and was shocked even learning about it. How is it that a movie with Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen just... disappeared? I would have expected to have seen it on the shelf at the video store at least.
Regardless, it's a really great, creepy, unpredictable…
I watched this a few years ago on Shudder (truly one of the great streaming services), and was shocked even learning about it. How is it that a movie with Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen just... disappeared? I would have expected to have seen it on the shelf at the video store at least.
Regardless, it's a really great, creepy, unpredictable movie, and I was really taken with how it let itself shift and change direction without a misstep. And through it all, they kept it intensely focused on this child who is also kind of an adult and how there are just so many people who won't mind their business. And through it all, I don't remember her backing down or flinching, so not only is this CHILD talking back to this adult who runs the town, but it's also a GIRL doing it. It just all felt so satisfying while simultaneously making me feel scared for her.
Also, having Mario be the weaker of the two and with a (polio vaccine inflicted?) limp, was an interesting choice, as it prevents him from ever feeling like she's safe now that a MAN is here.
I first saw this when it played late at night on a local TV station. It's almost better as a film you just stumble across and find yourself stunned by what you see. (But that didn't stop me from writing the piece.)
I could totally see this being something you find on TV but miss the opening credits for and then you spend your life unsure if what you saw was real or not.
I watched this a few years ago on Shudder (truly one of the great streaming services), and was shocked even learning about it. How is it that a movie with Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen just... disappeared? I would have expected to have seen it on the shelf at the video store at least.
Regardless, it's a really great, creepy, unpredictable movie, and I was really taken with how it let itself shift and change direction without a misstep. And through it all, they kept it intensely focused on this child who is also kind of an adult and how there are just so many people who won't mind their business. And through it all, I don't remember her backing down or flinching, so not only is this CHILD talking back to this adult who runs the town, but it's also a GIRL doing it. It just all felt so satisfying while simultaneously making me feel scared for her.
Also, having Mario be the weaker of the two and with a (polio vaccine inflicted?) limp, was an interesting choice, as it prevents him from ever feeling like she's safe now that a MAN is here.
I first saw this when it played late at night on a local TV station. It's almost better as a film you just stumble across and find yourself stunned by what you see. (But that didn't stop me from writing the piece.)
I could totally see this being something you find on TV but miss the opening credits for and then you spend your life unsure if what you saw was real or not.