1. The Nanny (1965)
10 year old Joey comes back from a home for disturbed boys where he has been cloistered since the death of his toddler sister. When he is at home, he creates considerable fuss about his Nanny - barricading his bedroom door against her, refusing to eat food she has cooked for him and generally doing everything possible to avoid her. At one point Joey accuses the Nanny of trying to kill him. Everyone assumes he is a strange, troubled boy, but does Joey have genuine reason to be repelled by the Nanny or is he one messed up kid? Excellent psychohorror from Hammer that exploits Bette Davis' presence as the oh so sweet Nanny who doesn't understand Joey's antipathy for her. And she plays this role so convincingly you are left throughout the film wondering 'Is she as sweet as she seems or a sinister old bat?'. Likewise, William Dix is utterly convincing in his performance as Joey - the kid everyone suspects of murder but is steadfast in his hatred of the Nanny - denouncing her as a murderer. The film makes it a difficult task to find out who is telling the truth, and this keeps us engaged throughout the movie. This film is well regarded in the film criticism world. It sustains a considerable amount of tension throughout with its ambiguous characters and the whole issue over who killed Joey's little sister. A fascinating who dunnit, the denouement is painful and heartbreaking. Don't miss this one.