The Other

The atmospheric direction of Robert Mulligan and the first-rate writing of Tom Tryon (based on his own novel) place The Other at a notch above the seemingly endless parade of demonic horror films of the 1970s. The story takes place on a small Connecticut farm in 1935 and concerns a luckless family that finds itself further plagued by a violent series of mysterious deaths. It seems that the curious deaths have something to do with Alexandra Udvarnoky's (Diana Muldaur) twin sons -- ten year old Chris (Niles Perry) and Martin (Holland Perry). Martin is shy, withdrawn, and somber, while Chris behaves like a normal ten-year-old boy. The question the film poses is which twin is good and which is evil -- and has he caused the killings?