The Innocents

Truman Capote’s brilliant writing is on full display in this movie. The way he develops the characters and the house keeps you guessing throughout the entire movie. He gives the audience the perfect amount of information every scene. His decision to keep the possessions ambiguous makes the story more interesting than if it was played straight. Jack Clayton’s direction is decades ahead. It reminds me more of modern horror than classic. It plays with psychological dread, the uncanny valley, unnerving sound design, and anxious framing in ways that stand out among other early 60’s horror movies. I was surprised at how good this movie was, the posters and description made it look generic.