Such a frustrating disappointment

So much average

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

fantastic film, what a great child young actress she was... martin sheen is a full on scary dude in this. i was really not expecting it to be such a great film, some may argue, but foster's performance in this movie rivals taxi driver. and martin sheen should have made heaps of films as a bad guy, because he is excellent, and brings the horror in a plain creepy way, but never over the top. this is a top film for film lovers of thrillers & horror done in a subtle way.this is a must see

It's Halloween in Wells Harbor, Maine. The creepy landlady's son Frank Hallet (Martin Sheen) comes to check on and creep on the 13 year old Rynn Jacobs (Jodie Foster). It's her birthday and she's suppose to be with her British poet father in the rented secluded seaside home. Except her father is nowhere to be seen. The next day, nosy landlady Cora Hallet (Alexis Smith) comes to invite her father to a party but Rynn is aggressively evasive. Officer Miglioriti gives her a ride home but he doesn't get to meet her father either. Cora returns to challenge Rynn but accidentally kills herself in the cellar. Rynn tries to get rid of Cora and convinces young infatuated passerby Mario to help her.I love all the actors in this. Sheen is surprisingly good creeping on young Foster. She's always great as a child actor. However it's too aggressive in hinting at the father's death. The reveal does make a twist on it but the twist is not nearly big enough. It just doesn't have enough change in the tone of the movie. The final tea is also problematic. It doesn't make sense that she doesn't put it in both tea cups. I can see this being a compelling thriller. This doesn't have enough surprises.

I read an earlier review from Scot6 who talked about Jodie's behavior as a 13 year old hard to believe because she was too mature. Well, that's what makes Jodie Foster who she is. It's always been discussed by older actors who worked with her at this age that she was so mature and adult like for as young as she was. Jodie was able to act by just being herself, yet become the character. So many of her scenes seem so natural(slapping Mario's hand away from the hamster, dropping the note her father wrote after Mario handed it back) I wonder if they weren't ad libbed or a mistake(dropping paper) yet left in because it was so natural and believable. Foster is amazing for her age in this movie. It makes me want to know more. Does Mario help her bury Sheen? What does the cop do with the footprints he noticed behind the house? And what will they do about the pervert missing or will anyone even know, since Rynne was sly enough to tell the cop that everything was fine and she was alone that night? No car to get rid of because he didn't drive there. Would love to see a sequel to this but only with Foster playing Rynne as a 50 year old. There is no statute of limitations on murder.

If anyone has seen "The Bad Seed", well this movie right here makes it looks like a kids' movie. It's a bit of a horror/romance/thriller movie that has plenty to entice. Jodie Foster does a magnificently well playing Rynn Jacobs, a girl from England who lives in a very big house with her father. Who, is not present at this time. Nosy neighbors, (Martin Sheen and Alexis Smith) wonders where is Rynn's father. Another person who is a policeman (Mort Shuman), who is rather curious as well checks on Rynn. He doesn't trust the Hallets. When Mrs. Hallet dropped by to get the jelly jars from Rynn, she demands to speak with the father. So when she goes into the cellar to get the rubber seals, she screams in terror, only to get herself killed by the heavy door. Later, she meets Mario(Scott Jacoby), who happens to be the policeman's nephew. At first, they have a small rift, but when he gets rid of Frank Hallet (Sheen) for killing Rynn's hamster, they ended up liking each other. Other than Frank's mother, Rynn's mother is in the cellar. Turns out that Rynn has poisoned her mother because she has been very abusive towards her. And her father carried himself off at the beach after he bought it for her. This girl may have been a minor, but she's adult enough to handle the world on her own. Eerily as it speaks, this movie was awesome. A little more hardcore for Foster than in "Taxi Driver", a thriller with attitude! 4 out of 5 stars!