Adapted from the great American author Henry Jamess 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw, The Innocents is not only seminal in the development of the creepy kids sub-genre of horror but remains terrifyingly disturbing despite its age. Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) is employed as a governess to look after little Miles and Flora, the niece and nephew of a wealthy uncle. A series of inexplicably adult actions from the children such as Miles expulsion from school for foul language or the young boy giving an inappropriately mature kiss to the shocked governess leads Miss Giddens to believe that the children have been possessed by the ex-governess and her lover Quint who died. In a genre overrun with uncomplicated, rudimentary stories where the narrative is often spurned for the grotesque and the gory, The Innocents is refreshingly ambiguous as it is unconfirmed whether the children truly are playing host to the spirits of the dead-lovers or if the virgin Miss Giddens has become consumed by her crazy fantasies. Arguably the possibility that the children arent possessed and are just being harassed by an unhinged Miss Giddens is the scariest outcome of all. The immaculate camera-work of Freddie Francis serves well in intensifying the creepy action.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
