The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Randy T

  
  A low budget 70's horror classic with perverse underpinnings. Similar to <i>Let's Scare Jessica to Death</i> (1971) and <i>The Last House on the Left</i> (1972) but much more subtle and enigmatic.

• Red L

  
  A pretty creepy movie. Jodie Foster plays a 14 year old who lives by herself. She is smart and willing to do anything to keep herself out of foster care (ha ha).

• Dead A

  
  OMA it's Jodie Foster! She was really cute and her acting was as good as it is now. Loved this movie. The story was teensy bit unacceptable but the performance made this better than it was. Great thriller.

• AJ V

  
  A good thriller, it could have been scarier, but it does have good tension, and a good cast too. I liked it.

• Robert C

  
  A brilliant piece of film making. Slightly dated but still really solid. Just enough tension and suspense to keep you interested and the story moving. The landladies son Frank Hallet (Martin Sheen) is just about a big a sleeze ball as you can find and is almost too much to… More
  A brilliant piece of film making. Slightly dated but still really solid. Just enough tension and suspense to keep you interested and the story moving. The landladies son Frank Hallet (Martin Sheen) is just about a big a sleeze ball as you can find and is almost too much to imagine, until we are introduced to his mother Ms. Hallet (Alexis Smith) who is a prime example of the (rotten) "apple not falling far from the tree". Even at this early age (14?) Foster as Rynn really shows her acting skills. She has a certain "old soul" quality that is perfectly suited for this story. The fact that we learn fairly early on that Rynn has a good (though slightly twisted) head on her shoulders and can take care of herself, helps to make the whole pedophilia back-story slightly little less disturbing. I don't think they could have gotten away with it with a lesser actress or if we felt that Rynn was some helpless ingenue.

• Drew S

  
  Nothing special, but reasonably entertaining. A spiritual predecessor to all the ridiculous "adult" thrillers that would go on to populate Jodie Foster's filmography, its strengths are outdone by some sordid intentions (apparently the producer wanted her to get naked… More
  Nothing special, but reasonably entertaining. A spiritual predecessor to all the ridiculous "adult" thrillers that would go on to populate Jodie Foster's filmography, its strengths are outdone by some sordid intentions (apparently the producer wanted her to get naked for the movie, at the age of 14, which she wisely refused. Her nonchalant performance suggests a distaste for everything that's going on here). If a little obvious, the film deals with some interesting themes, such as abandonment and need and growing up too fast. It also looks good, and I imagine the music probably sounded better back in the mid-70s; it has since aged to the point of sounding ridiculous. At its heart, though, it's a typical "criminal with her back to the wall" with a few clever tweaks. A fun curio for Foster fans, but skippable for anyone else.

• Luke B

  
  A stunning film in all respects. The best thing about this movie is the pacing. There is nothing in this film that could be described as "filler". Every shot has a purpose and every shot is used to full effect. It's similar to another forgotten classic, Magic, in… More
  A stunning film in all respects. The best thing about this movie is the pacing. There is nothing in this film that could be described as "filler". Every shot has a purpose and every shot is used to full effect. It's similar to another forgotten classic, Magic, in it's tone. It isn't quite horror, nor exactly a thriller and some moments just don't fit in a drama category. All this adds to a chilling tale of adolescence. From the very first scene we are introduced to Foster's incredibly adult performance and Sheen's disturbingly outgoing and sinister character. The film hints strongly at the answers to the mystery but doesn't come straight out and tell us. It makes us wait. Sheen and Foster give arguably their greatest performances and it's a film where nobody tries to out act each other or steal the show. The score is beautifully crafted, being both classical and shoving in some 70's synth sounds. No doubt The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane will haunt you for some time. This is a film that more and more people need to see.

• Adam M

  
  Sheen is a great psycho; Foster's monologues are awful

• Megan S

  
  Interesting movie but kind of slow. And Martin Sheen was a creepy man.

• Leigh R

  
  Jodie does great in this film.

• Mar j

  
  Jodie Foster, at age 14, portrayed a real-world adult in her best performance in a film. It is awe inspiring seeing a child actress act in such a beautiful and professional way. I started with the acting because with a film that offers numerous memories, the acting of Jodie Foster is… More
  Jodie Foster, at age 14, portrayed a real-world adult in her best performance in a film. It is awe inspiring seeing a child actress act in such a beautiful and professional way. I started with the acting because with a film that offers numerous memories, the acting of Jodie Foster is something I will never forget. I suggest the few people reading my review to refrain from reading the plotline. I skimmed the plot, and whether I'm a dyslexic or I have a mental disorder, I missed a key part in the plot that I believe made the film much better and mysterious. Below is the plotline the filmmakers wanted to give the viewers before going into The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Road, but I have taken two words out. I suggest you refrain from finding out anything else; it's unnecessary. ~A 13-year-old resorts to murder to protect herself.~ The main character Ryann, despite what pre-made stereotypes you may have about teenage girls, is not only the most interesting teenage girl I have ever seen (fiction and non-fiction), but also one of the most interesting characters in a film I have seen. This may be due to my uninteresting life, but that's the honest truth. She's intelligent, witty, devious, independent, dark; but that changes until she lets the viewer enter her life, and that is when I felt like I truly knew her. She isn't a one-dimensional character, and her actions are worthy of discussion. Even though I have raved about the characters and acting, that is not enough to warrant a viewing for most people. It may be a simple and short film, but The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Road is also unique in a small way. I doesn't achieve anything out of the ordinary, but it's something you never imagined seeing on-screen. It's a little hard to explain, but once you (hopefully) give it a chance, you'll know exactly what I was saying. It's the simplicity that gives it that masterpiece status because the character development, emotion and wonder packed into this one short film will make the viewer feel tricked, and mesmerized, in the greatest way possible.

• Quinto W

  
  I can't think of any other actress that could've pulled off this particular role, mostly becuase not onlly is Jodie Foster a good actress but also because her overall apperance exudes wisdom beyond her years; while at the same time Martin Sheen is creepy and brilliant as a… More
  I can't think of any other actress that could've pulled off this particular role, mostly becuase not onlly is Jodie Foster a good actress but also because her overall apperance exudes wisdom beyond her years; while at the same time Martin Sheen is creepy and brilliant as a threatening neighbor. Some of the elements are a little bit undercooked, like a romantic subplot that at times feels misplaced, but the film manages to pack enough tension and suspense into a story that is otherwise fairly predictable.

• John M

  
  "The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane" is not a horror movie as I was expecting nor I can't even consider it as a thriller because it is not thrilling either; It is an interesting psychological drama with touches of mystery and romance though it didn't meet my… More
  "The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane" is not a horror movie as I was expecting nor I can't even consider it as a thriller because it is not thrilling either; It is an interesting psychological drama with touches of mystery and romance though it didn't meet my expectation, I have to admit it is a good movie. It keeps the audience guessing along with it but holds onto our interest the entire time and doesn't fail with the storyline. Very well executed and very well acted. Jodie Foster's excellent performance. Though I bought a toad by a frog (it is a saying in Spanish) because I was expecting a spooky, gory slasher this is nothing even close to that but it is a good one.

• Lee K

  
  I think this was the first film that i was introduced to Jodie Foster with? Eerie little thriller that had its jolt from the seat moments. something movies nowadays have great difficulty achieving.

• Sean S

  
  Well acted creepy little piece of film. Sheen is does his intense psycho schtick and Foster does grown up the way only kids who grow up in Hollywood seem to go at 14. Entertaining but not for the faint of emotion or those thinking this would be a good substitute for Home Alone.

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