Movie spotlight
The Turn of the Screw
A remote English country house, and old and faithful housekeeper, two young orphan children and an eager new governess sent down from London to look after them. But all is not quite as it seems in the sheltered world of Bly. Britten's brilliantly scored, insidiously compelling adaptation of Henry James's novella takes its themes of of childish innocence and adult corruption, then twists and turns them to disturbing and ultimately devastating effect.
Insights
Plot Summary
A young governess is hired to care for two orphaned children at a remote country estate. As she attempts to bring them up properly, she begins to suspect that the house is haunted by the ghosts of its previous inhabitants and that the children themselves may be influenced by these spectral presences.
Critical Reception
The 2009 television adaptation of Henry James's novella received generally positive reviews, with particular praise for its atmospheric tension, Michelle Dockery's performance, and its faithfulness to the source material's psychological horror. Some critics noted its deliberate pacing, while others found it a chilling and effective modern interpretation of a classic ghost story.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its spooky atmosphere and strong lead performance.
Considered a faithful and unsettling adaptation of the classic ghost story.
Some viewers found the pacing to be slow but appreciated the psychological dread.
Google audience: Audience reception for this specific adaptation is not widely documented on Google's platform.
Fun Fact
Although often mistaken for a feature film, "The Turn of the Screw" (2009) was actually produced as a television film for BBC One.
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