Blog Monster Movie Review: The Other

The Other (1972)

Directed by: Robert Mulligan
Written by: Tom Tryon
Starring: Chris and Martin Udvarnoky, Diana Muldaur, and Uta Hagen
Production Company: Benchmark, Rem, and Twentieth-Century Fox

Bad children horrors tend to be, I find, some of the creepiest of the horror genres. There’s something very disturbing about a child, whom everyone would assume to be an innocent, presented as a source of evil. The Other fits all of these descriptions.

The Other focuses on twins Niles and Holland. Set in 1935, Niles and Holland’s family have clearly had some trouble like the death of the boys’ father, but the two boys seem reasonably well adjusted, running around and playing. Holland seems to be the troublemaker seen as Niles tries to stop him from breaking a jar of preserves in the neighbor’s shed. A couple of young boys with little more than imagination can get into some trouble from time to time. But things aren’t going to remain quiet for the family.

As accidental deaths start stacking up, Ada, the twins’ grandmother, I think, begins to suspect something. When Ada learns the truth about these accidents, things go from bad to worse.

The climax and ending of this movie is something to be seen. It’s an ending of shocks and horror and I spent the whole time thinking, “Oh, I know they aren’t going to…THEY DID!”

Chris and Martin Udvarnoky do a great job playing the equally innocent and menacing twins, but Uda Hagen captures the show as the selfless Ada. Her gut-wrenching performance is one to be remembered. Also showing up in smaller roles are John Ritter and Diana Muldaur. Ritter has a very small role which is hard to comment on other than it was noce seeing him away from his Jack Tripper character, but Muldaur was able to project such fear with so little effort that it was impressive.

Don’t expect an action packed thriller here. The pace is slow and deliberate trying to keep us guessing until the end. It’s a carefully crafted, subtle thriller that doesn’t use things to which modern thrillers seem addicted such as blood, special effects, and fast paced action. It’s a quiet little film that unleashes more horror than most.