mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

ags123 The strength of this film lies in Bernard Herrmann's whistling theme music, a unique, haunting and, typical of Herrmann, innovative melody that gets under your skin. The rest of the movie may indeed get under your skin, but for all the wrong reasons. It's just not very logical or suspenseful. I find Hywel Bennett's portrayal of the troubled protagonist wildly inconsistent and never quite believable. Nor does it help that he's quick to reveal a not very attractive physique. Hayley Mills, on the other hand, looks great but there's nothing challenging about her portrayal of a sweet young naif. She's rather dull. Billie Whitelaw and Barry Foster have this film to thank for getting them cast in Hitchcock's "Frenzy," though it's difficult to ascertain what Hitchcock saw in them based on their uneven performances here. Not worth tracking down this odd film as it will ultimately disappoint expectations.

valensee I came by this title by chance, but I definitely didn't end up regretting it. We all tend to have our own preferences when it comes to actors, but I don't think anyone could've chosen the leads better - Bennett's innocent looks serve nothing but to further add to the disturbing nature of the character he's portraying - the terror of Martin is that he could be anyone, the guy at school who's taken a liking into you, your next door neighbour, a cashier at the local shop - he's likable and cute and there's no way of telling his true intentions until it's too late. Laced with the perfect amount of nerve-wrecking music and unfolding the plot slowly and meticulously all the way up to the boiling point, I think anyone who fancies themselves a good thriller shouldn't miss on this one, especially with all the wonderful work that has been put into the character and plot development.

ackstasis In 1960, two respected British directors debuted shocking psychosexual thrillers, to mixed critical and commercial receptions: Alfred Hitchcock with 'Psycho,' and Michael Powell with 'Peeping Tom.' Both films were shocking in their time, and their influence on low-budget 1960s horror can't be overstated. Roy Boulting's 'Twisted Nerve (1968)' is a typical Hitchcock rip-off, but of the serious, stylish Brian De Palma mould, rather than the schlocky comic-horror of William Castle. The film introduces us to Martin Durnley (Hywel Bennett), the younger brother of a man suffering from "mongolism," the condition now known as Down Syndrome. Though seemingly healthy a birth, it seems that young Martin has developed some psychopathic, psychosexual tendencies, inextricably linked to a chromosomal mismatch at conception. Martin pretends to be mentally-challenged in order to get into bed with the virginal Susan (Disney favourite Hayley Mills, later the director's much-younger wife), only to instead capture the attentions of Susan's lonely mother (Billie Whitelaw) – did I mention this film was rather twisted?Though the film treats its absurd, gloriously un-PC narrative with the utmost seriousness, it is nevertheless startlingly effective at capturing the main character's psychoses. Bennett's performance is menacing and pathetic in equal degree, playing a sort of introverted Alex DeLarge, whose wicked intentions are always bubbling beneath an otherwise honest exterior. 'Twisted Nerve' also features a maddeningly catchy musical theme, memorably recycled in Tarantino's 'Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2004),' composed by Bernard Hermann, who by this time was estranged from Hitchcock on account of his rejected score for 'Torn Curtain (1967).' Nevertheless, it's clear that Alfred Hitchcock himself both saw and enjoyed 'Twisted Nerve,' as he cast both Barry Foster and Billie Whitelaw in his own back-to-basics British shocker 'Frenzy (1972).' Due to controversy surrounding its depiction of Down Syndrome, the film opens with a spoken announcement that attempts to shirk responsibility for its political incorrectness, but without much luck. I probably wouldn't have it any other way.

christopher-underwood Not at all bad. From an uneasy, start complete with voice-over to try and mitigate the non PC nature of the main thread of the film, this builds very nicely to a very decent climax. Hywell Bennet is most effective as the young man who tries to break from his mother and Hayley Mills surprisingly good playing against type. If it hadn't been for the controversy surrounding the film regarding 'Mongols', she may have gone on to a much more interesting career. Good pacing and fleshed out secondary characters help to make this an absorbing psycho thriller, with some quite nasty moments and a splattering of blood.