The Other (1972)

This movie didn't sit well with me. I didn't read any spoilers before I watched this, nor did I read the book, but I wish I had and spared myself the 90 minutes. I saw bits and pieces of this movie when I was a youngster so I already knew that some animal dies. This movie is great until the last 15 minutes. I honestly didn't know that the baby (or the boy) was going to die. I did know that the tag line is "Holland where's the baby", but I guess I was hoping against the worst possible scenario. It was a letdown for me because I am a mother with two babies who are my entire world.

The plot twist I saw it coming a while before it was revealed but this didn't take away any of my enjoyment to see the rest of it. This is not the movie's fault. I bet back in 1972 most people wouldn't have guessed that. Now many people must have seen something similar to it already.Still in the ending it leaves for multiple explanations. Reading the different interpretations on the board here all of those had good arguments to be correct. I'm not sure what my interpretation was. The movie is based on a book (which I haven't read) that also leaves for different interpretations.I really enjoyed the movie, compelling story and interesting characters. Good acting from both the twin boys and the grandmother was awesome. The Great Game she taught her grandsons was really a clever idea.

This haunting line echoes over the film's theatrical trailer, and is the crux of its American Gothic schematics. Based on the novel of the same name, Thomas Tryon adapted the screenplay for "The Other," which tells the story of two twin boys in a rural farming community in the 1920s, focusing on their involvement in a series of murders over one summer. Perhaps one of the most under-viewed and under-appreciated horror movies of the seventies, "The Other" is one of those rare films that is so quietly unnerving that you will struggle to pinpoint what exactly about it is so disconcerting. While the cover artwork and the title itself draw immediate comparisons to (and perhaps confusions with) "The Omen," "The Other" is anything but.The constant play-off between the twin boys (masterfully played by real life twins Martin and Chris Udvarnoky) leads the film into darker and darker territory as it spirals toward its shocking conclusion, and a constant ominousness abounds from all angles— the photography, the slowburn plot twists, and the haunting score. Lush cinematography of the rural countryside gives the film a languid and dreary tone amidst the dry heat of the summer. A stellar performance from the famed Uta Hagen is icing on the cake here, with memorable support from Victor French and John Ritter. Overall, "The Other" is a spectacular and underrated film that is quietly evasive and disturbing. It is an admittedly slow film, but the moody cinematography and standout performances are enough to satisfy as the film slowly propels itself toward its grim and cagey conclusion. 9/10.

"The Other" succeeds in creating a creepy atmosphere. While it might not be a perfect film (a few of the characters behave in ways that are not too believable), it does satisfy overall.The film is set on a farm in rural Connecticut in the 1930s. Much of the first part of the film shows the relationship between two brothers--one good (Niles) and one bad (Holland). After a while, you see just how evil and unbalanced Holland is, as you realize that he's killed...more than once--which is pretty fantastic for an 11 year-old. However, when you discover that Holland actually died many months ago, you realize that Niles is, in fact, 100% bonkers. However, you'd THINK this realization would have occurred at the end of the film--but there actually is a lot more to go....and a lot more killing.With all the murders and action, this film will NOT bore you. My complaints, and they're minor, is that the family members who realized that Niles was a nut SHOULD have reacted much differently and a heck of a lot sooner. Knowing your son or grandson is a homicidal maniac, you'd THINK you'd tell others and NOT keep this to yourself! This just didn't ring true. So, I have to knock off a few points for this--though, on balance, the good far, far outweighs the bad.