Twisted Nerve

Something I've always liked to do is look through classic horror gems, and unearth some truly forgotten gems, like this one which was hampered with controversy when released and sadly failed to make any impact. This is a shame given that this is a well and truly crafted thriller with great performances that does echo tension with the actions of the lead character.

The biggest strength relies on Martin who has an alter ego who pretends to be a simpleton, just so he can con his way into a woman's affections. Despite living a lift of wealth and good looks, his mind is anything but stable, with an overbearing mother and a down syndrome brother who is put away for just being handicapped and is more or less forgotten about, apart from by Martin, a deep hatred for his stepfather, his mind begins to shatter like a broken mirror which sends him into a spiral. It is often difficult to pull this kind of thing of convincingly, but here it is done right and slowly builds throughout the movie.

Okay this isn't a perfect movie and does have some lower points, like there is just way too much time focused on Martin's descent into madness, instead of moving along at a quicker pace, it seems that other elements of the film suffers in a way, and also the message at the beginning of the movie just contradicted the events of what happens, is also just silly. But asides from this is a really good movie with camera styles and technique that echoes Hitchcock, along with well written main characters, something that's rare these days, does make this viewing a treat.

The casting like I already said is excellent Hywel Bennett who plays Martin was the clear standout, his performance was chilly and captivating, his pleasant features and broad range are both hypnotic and terrifying. Hayley Mills who plays the female lead was also excellent and pulls off the victim angle and of course has great chemistry with the male lead. Billie Whitelaw gives a great sympathetic turn as the owner and Susan's mother, she felt very tragic as a woman whose just wants to be loved.

All in all "Twisted Nerve" is a very complex thriller that may be slow burning at times, but well worth a watch.

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.

A storm in a tea-cup is how to describe the glaring reputation formed by this obviously influenced Hitchcok-like, British slow pot-boiler psycho-thriller. At its core is a very daring, but questionable theme (or better put taboo) that landed it in hot-water with the media when released, as it opens with a disclaimer ruling out the scientific connections between siblings of mongoloid children being linked to criminal behavior. Well it must have been effective in some shape, as that's one way to get your film noticed! Screenplay/writer Leo Marks wouldn't be wet behind the ears to controversy, due to the fact he wrote the story for chillingly sleazy 1960 'Peeping Tom' that saw director Michael Powell's work getting heavily cut.

Martin Darnley is a coldly smart, but considerably nurtured and lonely young lad of a wealthy family that sees his mother smother him, while his domineering step-father wants to get rid of him and his mongoloid brother hospitalized. Assuming a false identity under Georgie; a nice, but mentally back-wards boy he meets a young lady Susan Harper who he takes a real shine too. Under certain circumstances and made-up stories he finds himself staying at a lodging house owned by Susan and her mother Joan.

Where it goes on to spark the interest and really builds around is the dark and unnerving psychological interplay of Martin (with a magnificently conniving and edgy performance by Hywel Bennett) manipulating and preying on the goodwill of others to adapt and form his new identity for ones own gain. The biting (if heavy-handed an absurd) material really does complement the calculative, random and moody ambiance, where it demonstrates a glassy sort of tension awaiting to break from the dramatic actions of the progressively plotted layout. This is more so character-based, than anything related to thrills. Bernard Herrmann's grandiosely sizzling score eerily caresses with the catching whistling rift by Bennett's character striking a cord. Director/writer Quentin Tarantino would sample the jarring whistle tune in 'Kill Bill Vol. 1'. Most of the suspense arose from Herrmann's masterful arrangement, than anything visually. Roy Boulting does an accomplished job directing, even with some stretched-out moments it remains curiously gripping throughout and the expressive camera-work takes shape to where it reaches its hysterical climax. The lovely ladies that appear are a terrific Haley Mills as Susan and Billie Whitelaw is absolutely great as her mother Joan. There's also a boisterous Barry Foster appearing as one of the lodgers.

Like many I knew this film only from the review in Phil Hardy's "Encyclopedia of Horror Films." Based on that I expected a piece of totally exploitative trash that would prove highly offensive. Having now seen it, I ask "what film did he watch?" The Twisted Nerve I just watched is a surprisingly good, well made thriller that does not deserve it's critical drubbing or audience ignorance (It is also not a Splatter" movie as the review states). Back in the day it seems that it caused a firestorm of controversy in it's native England as many mistook Martin/Georgie's split personality for mental retardation. It is his brother, not Martin, that is mentally retarded and in no way a threat to anyone. Martin is in fact, a split personality. As Georgie, he is a very likable man/child, sweet and innocent. But as Martin, he's cold, calculating, and dangerously clever. I think this makes for a fascinating hero/villain and Hywell Bennet carries it off with extreme effectiveness. Hayley Mills and Billie Whitelaw are at their loveliest, and overall the cast does extremely well. Could be a tad overlong at nearly 2 hours, but the film never drags once. Forget what the critics say and it's controversial legacy. Give it a chance, you'll be rewarded.

Martin/Georgie is a mommy obsessed psychopath with a mental age of an infant.Georgie dupes his way into beautiful Hayley Mills' residence and the sinister things begin to happen..."Twisted Nerve" is a psychological thriller strongly influenced by Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho".The camera-work is outstanding as is the acting.There are only two murders shown in the film,so fans of horror will be disappointed.The soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann of "Psycho" fame is truly memorable as is the whistling theme later used by Tarantino in "Kill Bill Vol 1".The characters are well-written and there is strong emphasis on oedipal complex.8 out of 10.