The first time I saw this movie, I was a kid of maybe 7 or 8. (I was about 2 or 3 when the movie came out). My parents were both educators, and in the summer, they ran the local summer recreation center at the school. On Fridays, they would sometimes show movies that were rented on reel-to-reel from the library and shown on film projectors. (Ah, memories! I do believe VHS was just becoming a "thing", but my dad like the old-timey sound and feel of the movie projector. But I digress!)

I have NEVER forgotten this movie, and so began my lifetime love affair with Jodie Foster. OF course I own this film on DVD and it is one of my regular watchable's during the month of October when I am watching ALL things suspense, horror, and macabre. As I am currently watching this movie on a very typical, cold and rainy fall day in the Pacific NorthWest, I am once again reminded of the small details that make this movie so enjoyable. The acting is FANTASTIC. Both Jodie Foster and Charlie Sheen nailed their roles with the perfect amount of tension, suspicion, and confidence. The director knew that subtleties made that much more of an impact than over-the-top actions (Pay attention to ANY of the scenes with the Foster and Sheen.) And truly, all of the actors were very believable in their roles. I especially liked the way Foster carried herself while at the bank. Her actions were very precise and direct. (I wasn't even aware that identity fraud was a THING back in the late 70's.)

The pace of the film is appropriate, and I while I always "know what's gonna' happen next", I still get caught up in the suspense and drama of it all. Good times!!!

This film is crazy...because in today's day in age, it just wouldn't be done. At least not in any mainstream way.

It stars 14 year old Jodie Foster as Rynn...and it sexualizes the sh*t out her for the entire film. There's even a nude scene where she gets fully naked in a back shot with her tits hanging out in full view (though it's actually her older sister Connie...the implication is still pretty nuts).

The very first scene is one of the most disturbing scenes I've seen in a film since the Irreversible rape scene. It is legitimately f*cking disturbing. It features a 36 year old Martin Sheen sexually accosting 13 year old Rynn, because he knows she's alone. Literally molesting her.

He's known throughout town to be a child molesting rapist, but was married off to a cocktail waitress with two kids- by his racist mother- so that he could look normal.

The mother also has it out for Rynn. She's also her landlady and knows something is up, because her father is never seen around- and also hates Rynn because she is a Jew.

But Rynn always has an excuse for why he's not around. She always has an excuse for everything. She's a great storyteller, and uses it to her advantage.

One day, however, the landlady dies, accidentally, at Rynn's house. And she tries to cover it up.

In the process of this she attracts the attention of a young crippled magician boy who is probably 17 or 18. He helps her cover things up by hiding the car and redirecting things when a cop (his uncle) shows up asking questions. He also defends her from Sheen when he comes back and more than suggests he is going to rape her as soon as he leaves.

She grows to trust him. And he soon becomes the only one she can trust, because she manipulates him into becoming complicit in the cover up.

Which brings me to what makes this film so goddamn creepy, and kind of f*cking great! She is by no means a victim in this film, despite her sexualization, she is a very strong, liberated female character...at least in the film (as for Jodie Foster, in the rest of general reality, is up for question). But, as a film, it is excellent.

For example, think about the story she tells the boy while they are sharing tea...and then think back to what she was doing with the mother before she accidentally killed herself. That was a lucky break! And great use of foreshadowing.

It's the subtle little details like this- and pedophilia induced creepiness- that made this a cult hit. It literally had me going..."this is crazy"...the whole time. There's so much molestey tension in here.

She does put out to the kid! First, it's implied...but pure, because they are both virgins, right? Then is the infamous boob scene. But through the whole film her breasts are augmented to be the center of attention- especially in scenes when she is alone with Sheen or the cop. And at risk of being molested.

As a character, however, she seems to be a bit of a sociopath, and it was almost like she uses sex to manipulate her now boyfriend into never betraying her- using him to her advantage- rather than out of any actual love for him...at least at first. As she does seem to genuinely love him by the end (though she definitely would have offed him if she thought he had talked).

This is definitely one of the most f*cked up films about rapey predators I've ever seen. Sheen has the creepiness of Kinski in Crawlspace, and the overall cringe factor of Irreversible.

It's disturbing as all hell.

The perfromances from both Foster and Sheen are great. Critics noted this was Foster's best performance yet- her most realistic portrayal of a child.

Growing up as a child actor, might explain why...

7 out 10.

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