5. The Nanny (1965)
Joey is a ten year old boy from an affluent family. He has just returned home from a school for disturbed boys where he has resided even since his little sister died. At home, he acts in a weird manner - refusing to sleep in a bed the Nanny made for him and moving into a room with a large lock. Neither will he eat anything that Nanny cooks and he goes so far as to say Nanny is trying to kill him. But Nanny seems so sweet.. Is Joey a monstrous little tyke who killed his sister or does he have very good reasons to be afraid of the Nanny? I had to include at least one Hammer film to round off the list so I chose my favourite - The Nanny which stars Bette Davis as the sickly, sugary titular Nanny in an excellent role which showcases her magnificent acting skills and gives us an indication as to why she was a huge Hollywood star. The Nanny is an absolutely brilliant film which relies on suspense and solid acting to sell itself - no gore, histrionics or violence. It is as creepy as can be and there is a push/pull kind of mechanism between Nanny and Joey over their credibility as to being innocent or guilty. One minute you think it is Joey, the next minute you think it's the Nanny and this tug of war between the two keeps the viewer engaged until the final tragic denouement. A masterpiece of psychological horror and in my opinion, Hammer's finest hour.