Time: 100 Minutes
Cast:
Deborah Kerr as Miss Giddens
Michael Redgrave as The Uncle
Peter Wyngarde as Peter Quint
Megs Jenkins as Mrs. Grose
Martin Stephens as Miles
Pamela Franklin as Flora
Director: Jack Clayton

A young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.

I did hear about The Innocents, I only knew that it was some horror movie from the 1960s that was meant to be quite good. Still, I didn’t really know what to expect going into it, and I wasn’t prepared for how fantastic it turned out to be.

The Innocents is a gothic psychological horror movie; the script is elegant and complex, and the story is engrossing. It initially starts out fairly subdued, and over the course of the movie, things escalate in small yet significant ways. It’s a very contained film; the limited cast of characters almost never leave the mansion, and we are trapped with them as small occurrences begin to happen. There is a complete sense of dread throughout with a creeping and brooding atmosphere. Even in the seemingly ‘innocent’ scenes, there’s always a feel of darkness under the surface, and it generally feels a little uneasy. This really is a psychological horror, with it being about its lead governess character losing her mind, and much of the film is trapped within her head. It’s effective at conveying paranoia and a slow descent into madness. It makes you question your perception, and with the ambiguous approach taken to the story, much is left for the audience to come to terms with and comprehend what they are watching. In many ways The Innocents was ahead of its time, and for a 1961 movie it gets away with a lot through imagery, ambiguity and implications considering that it covers certain darker themes including child neglect, grief, corruption of innocence and sexual repression. Without getting too into it, The Innocents also has a memorable and weighty horror ending.

The acting from the whole cast is great. Deborah Kerr gives an excellent lead performance, and among the best in the horror genre. Her character’s journey is both riveting and terrifying, and Kerr conveys that brilliantly. The rest of the acting is good too, the biggest surprises being the child actors in Pamela Franklin and Martin Stephens. Creepy child characters in horror movies usually cause tension in cheap or easy ways by causing jumpscares or saying creepy things. However, they can be genuinely uncomfortable (especially Stephens), and were also very good in their parts.

The movie is beautifully directed by Jack Clayton. The black and white cinematography is gorgeous and stunning, with minimal use of lighting. There aren’t any jumpscares, blood or gore and instead relies a creepy atmosphere and a feeling of paranoia, generated by memorable imagery and lingering uncanny shots. Even the simple shots of ghosts feel eerie and uneasy. The production and costume design are also good with great Victorian period detail. On top of that, the sound design is stellar and Georges Auric’s musical score is haunting and profound.

The Innocents is an incredible psychological haunting horror story, atmospheric, fantastically directed and excellently performed. It is among the very best horror movies I’ve seen, and I highly recommend it.