Horror is an incredibly cyclical beast; the current cycle is a mix between the perpetual zombie and haunted house films. One of the more pre-eminent historical cycles is the bad seed, or to give it a more common name – scary kids. The 1960s and 70s saw the zenith with titles Children of the Damned and the Omen capturing the public’s imagination. One of the lesser-known, yet influential, titles from that era is The Other – the latest title to join the Eureka Classics collection. Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird) directs this adaptation of the popular novel of the same name by Tom Tryon.
While not entirely accurate to pin the film exclusively in the horror genre, The Other is far more interested in the drama than heightened terror. Set during the Great Depression, Mulligan’s film finds itself in a humble farmhouse where twins Niles and Holland (Chris and Martin Udvarnoky) live. The boys are as playful, rebellious and as affectionate as any children their age. In this idealistic, simple house a series of fatal accidents start happening with frightening regularity, whether by stray pitchfork or childlike obstinacy. A consistency which sees the innocence and sanity of the boys become increasingly suspect.
The Other suffers at the hands of history, not through dated acting or technical prowess but because it’s one of the key source texts for this type of film. Any such influential text suffers as a continued succession of writers and directors crib the best key ideas and concepts, a process through no fault of the people involved. Night of the Living Dead informed the coda of the zombie film, The Exorcist with demonic possession, but both have endured. At the opposite end of the spectrum are films like this and Spider Baby, Jack Hill’s film was ravenously consumed to the point where history has made it look rather silly. The Other does just enough to endure but history certainly hasn’t been the kindest. Consequently, the developments, twists or atrocities are either unexpected or surprising (for the wrong reasons); a saddening fate that may see the film lost on the less patient first-time viewer.
The quiet, open spaces and the good old fashioned middle American values hiding something so horrific is a contrast that suits the material well.
THE OTHER
The tone falls somewhere near the romanticized community spirit of TV’s Little House on the prairie, a tonal decision that makes the moments traditionally found in your garden variety bad seed film all the more affecting. As previously mentioned, this isn’t achieved through nous of narrative but through the atmosphere, performance and theme. The quiet, open spaces and the good old fashioned middle American values hiding something so horrific is a contrast that suits the material well.
Children in horror tend to be the perfect catalysts for communicating that something is scary, no one does it better, but in films like the Other that balance is spun 180. Whether This is thanks to the two young actors playing Niles and Holland in Chris and Martin Udvarnoky; they beautifully heighten the contrast between childlike innocence and mysterious malevolence. Niles’ relationship with the paternal Ada (Uta Hagen) complicates this further, a bond of absolute love with the supernatural ‘game’ they play together twisting something as basic as aerial photography into a means of wonder, discovery and dread.
Escalating like the best the genre has to offer, The Other ends on a scene which recycle ideas and imagery from an earlier visit to a carnival is shocking in both what happens and the misunderstanding born from it – it may be heavily telegraphed but its execution is perfect finale material for a psychological horror film. Mulligan’s lost horror hit may be bogged down by over-familiarity but it’s exceedingly difficult to snub a film that amazes despite every bump and molehill being visible from miles away.
On disc, extras are minimal to the extreme, with only the original theatrical trailer to speak of. The 1080p transfer sees the film look better than ever while remembering that 1970s horror had a slight warmth and grain to it. Critic Aaron Hillis affectionate contextualization in the booklet sits beside an interview with Mulligan that perhaps would have featured on another label’s disc. A minimal package that compliments this lost bad seed classic.
THE OTHER WAS RELEASED ON EUREKA CLASSICS BLU-RAY
UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS SINCE BEEN DISCONTINUED AND IS OUT OF PRINT
“Niles’ relationship with the paternal Ada” are you sure paternal is the appropriate word? She is a female and she is Niles’ maternal grandmother. Not sure if “paternal” was a typo or if it fit into your context.