Leofwine_draca Like THE HAUNTING, this is a slow-moving and subtle film which manages to evoke a true sense of fear with the viewer. Easily the definitive version of Henry James' novel THE TURN OF THE SCREW, this is an intelligent, gripping horror film which gives us time to get to know the principal characters before dropping them in at the deep end. Indeed, the first half an hour is quite hard to sit through as nothing particularly happens, and the characters are merely introduced, but things soon become unbearably spooky and surprisingly dark before the downbeat conclusion. This is frightening, adult cinema, and not a film for those with nervous dispositions.Unlike THE HAUNTING, we do actually get to see the ghosts here - albeit briefly. They take the form of normal-looking people, not bloody or gory, standing silently, watching. These are scary apparitions, and I think ghosts in films are more effective when they don't actually do much except stand around and look scary - there's something understated about them which adds to their creepiness, as if they are like statues (for another great example of these silent spectres, check out ENDLESS NIGHT, which has a really frightening moment towards the end).The acting is excellent, especially from Deborah Kerr as the haunted governess who is not afraid to believe in the spirit world and remains refreshingly open-minded; I for one am sick of principal characters disbelieving ghosts and having to be convinced in films. Kerr gets to display a range of emotions here; love, compassion, fear and disgust, making her performance really good in my eye. However, the acting of Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin surpass even Kerr's performance - Stephens and Franklin being a pair of very creepy kids. On the outside they're polite and respectable, but you just know that there's a dark and deadly secret waiting to burst out at any moment. Franklin descends into incoherent screaming at the end of the film, while Stephens you may recognise (with blond hair this time) from his equally menacing role in VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED. Megs Jenkins and Michael Redgrave also do quite well with their underdeveloped housemaid and 'Uncle' characters respectively.Freddie Francis was on hand to perform some nice crisp photography, and it shows, as the film is beautifully filmed. It also isn't afraid to leave some loose ends and also have a surprisingly tragic finale - one which is totally unexpected. This is an unnerving, classy haunting film which easily achieves what it sets out to do.

Irishchatter This really does remind you of the old movie "Village of the Damned" and also "Jane Eyre" without the romantic setting! I thought Deborah Kerr was excellent at playing the young governess. She really is sweet and she doesn't need the role to prove that. She's a very talented actress and it's a shame that I've never heard of her before. Even if I watched "Village of the Damned" that she was in, I still didn't find out much about her until this movie!I thought Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin as the children were great little actors. When they said "dear" or "my love", it does creep you out especially in a horror setting like this. I wonder did they notice that they were doing a actual horror film or did they not bother their heads? It's interesting like in Village of the Damned, I could figure out that the children knew they were cursed but what about the kids in this film? That'll be a mystery for me haha!Anyways its a good film, I give this 8/10!

Jerome Ziegel This is an example of what you can get when you put together a good story (the film is based on a novel from 1898 by Henry James), an actress who can play any part with perfection (Deborah Kerr) and a director of photography like Freddie Francis (also a filmmaker specialist in horror movies). "The innocents" is the best adaptation of Henry James (along with "The heiress –1948–, the excellent melodrama directed by William Wyler with Olivia de Havilland and Montgomery Clift) and one of the greatest (if not the greatest) horror films about haunting ever made. This atmospheric and unforgettable film is so deep and tense that is difficult find another title that can give us so much darkness and suspense (only some of the masterpieces by Alfred Hitchcock). Do yourself a favor and watch this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fuzzy Wuzzy Yes. This 1961 Supernatural-Thriller certainly had its fair share of good points, as well as its not so good points.The one thing that really impressed me about this particular ghost story was that it delivered its eerie, little story quite effectively without spilling even a single drop of blood.I think that, alone, earns The Innocents some rightful and respectful recognition in the realm of "horror". 'Cause, even way back in 1961, a fright flick could never be expected to hold the viewer's rapt attention without the necessity of blood & gore.Anyways - With strong performances given by all of its principal cast members, I thought that the overall subtlety of The Innocents' sinister and nightmarish tale was quite impressive. And I wasn't in the least bit disappointed with this supernatural story as it slowly, but surely, unravelled its mystery of mounting madness that seemed to rise from the depths of a very dark and curious netherworld.