Steinesongo Too many fans seem to be blown away

Greenes Please don't spend money on this.

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

gridoon2018 The two biggest assets of "Twisted Nerve" are Bernard Herrmann's sensational score (right up there with his work for Hitchcock), and Hywel Bennett's masterfully measured performance as a man who puts on an innocent, childlike, slightly "backwards" interior but is actually a cold, cunning, calculating psychopath. The problem is, we know nearly everything there is to know about his character after about a half hour; the story unfolds slowly and without many surprises. Hayley Mills is a doll and also puts in a strong performance, but a sinfully sexy Billie Whitelaw (cast as her mother, even though she is just 14 years older) pretty much steals her thunder! Not a classic, but watchable. **1/2 out of 4.

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.

Red-Barracuda When I watched Twisted Nerve I wasn't aware of its controversial reputation and that it was quite a difficult film to get hold of. I was a little surprised to discover both those facts to be honest. The controversy that it caused in its day was due to the genetic theory put forward that siblings of Down's syndrome children are predisposed to criminal behaviour. The main character in the film suggesting that this theory to be true. I can see the offence that could cause but at the end of the day this is a thriller and not really to be taken very seriously. I have seen lots of murder-mystery's where the culprit is unmasked and their actions are explained by some ridiculous pseudo-science. And I think that is what needs to happen with Twisted Nerve – take it with a pinch of salt. As far as it being hard to get hold of and not seen by many – I have even noticed it appear on a public domain collection – that is even more surprising because this is a pretty solid thriller with a lot of good things about it. It doesn't exactly break the mould but it is still very good.It centres on a young rich layabout called Martin who is molly-coddled by his mother but disliked by his step-father. The feeling is mutual though and Martin is forced to leave home but with murderous intent. He adopts the persona of Georgie – a boy with the mental age of a child – in order to dupe his way into the boarding house of a girl he is obsessed with and to enact his deadly scheme.There's a pretty good cast in this one. Hywel Bennett is very good in the central role of Martin/Georgie. It's a character that requires a fair bit of range from cold psychopath to wide-eyed innocent. Bennett delivers the goods though and ensures that we believe in his character. Hayley Mills plays the girl he lusts after; she is good in the role and cute as a button. The cast is rounded out with a couple of strong performers. Billie Whitelaw is Mill's mother, who is a lost soul who takes in extra money by sleeping with the guests, one of which is played by Barry Foster, an obnoxious fellow not a million miles away from the character he would play in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy. In fact the film as a whole owes a fair bit to Hitchcock itself, especially Psycho but also the likes of Marnie. Its emphasis on the psychological but with moments of violence and suspense certainly puts it in the Hitchcockian ball-park. Another similarity is the Bernard Herrmann soundtrack. In this one he once again shows he has an ear for the eerie with the disquieting main whistling theme which is very distinctive indeed. It was unsurprisingly and tediously stolen by Quentin 'I've seen lots of films and I want you to know about it' Tarantino for Kill Bill Vol.1.I guess you would have to classify Twisted Nerve as a cult movie. One that seems to operate under the radar and one that is well worth checking out if you enjoy psychological thrillers.

hesketh27 This is very dated and very much of its time (a capsule of the 'swinging sixties). Strangely set bound (even the exterior scenes are filmed on a set), it has the appearance / atmosphere of a stage play. For such a distinguished cast, there are more than a few shaky performances which makes the direction suspect. Not particularly enjoyable as a thriller, certainly not scary and why the DVD still carries an 18 certificate in the Uk heaven only knows. On any night of the week you can watch more explicit material than this on the main TV channels. Only worth watching as a curiosity now I'm afraid. One thing's for sure, Hywel Bennett would certainly have been better keeping his clothes on in the film, his pasty body isn't a pretty sight!