One of the best psychological horror films ever made, if you liked "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane" (1976) you will love "Our Mother's House", which takes a similar premise, then adds some ambitious "Lord of the Flies" elements and throws in the production design of "Girly".<br /><br />The 1976 film featured thirteen-year old Jodie Foster menaced by Martin Sheen while keeping the death of her father secret so she could maintain her independence. "Our Mother's House" has seven children working to keep their mother's death a secret. They are menaced by the arrival of Dirk Bogarde who they believe to be their father. Bogarde agrees to help them keep the secret, recognizing an opportunity to ingratiate himself with the children and pilfer their mother's estate. <br /><br />Like Foster, the oldest child (Margaret Brooks-daughter of the screenplay writer) recognizes the threat but the others are taken in for a wide assortment of reasons; mostly just the desire for the security of having a parent in their lives. Daughter number two (Pamela Franklin) develops a father-figure crush and pulls off the best performance of her career. If you wonder what all the fuss is about concerning this actress (who never really became a major star but has a huge cult following) you need to see her nail this challenging role. Her character undergoes enough transformations for ten films and Franklin is believable throughout the process. <br /><br />Brooks is very good also, watch for the death-bed scene at the start of the film. There is a close-up of her face at the moment she first realizes that her mother has just passed away. It may have been a happy accident, a lucky moment during one of the takes, but the editor would have flipped when he saw how perfect it was. <br /><br />The three girls in the family generally outshine the boys in this production, although a visiting schoolmate named Louis (Parnum Wallace) provides a couple moments on camera that are on the same level as those of the girls.<br /><br />Some may dispute whether this is actually a horror film (as they do with "The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane). It has some Hitchcock elements, a bleak old mansion, dead bodies, séances, and moments of intense suspense but no monsters or gore. <br /><br />The mother was a vicar's daughter who rebelled by taking a succession of lovers, repenting after her seventh child and turning into religious nut case. Bogarde's character Charlie had married her long ago and allowed her to keep giving each new child his name. Bogarde's performance is also top notch, convincingly playing against type as a fast-talking working class grifter. <br /><br />Director Jack Clayton, ("Room at the Top," "The Pumpkin Eater" and "The Innocents"-where he directed an even younger Pamela Franklin) keeps his young cast firmly restrained and they come across as very real-especially for characters in a very off-kilter family. Julian Gloag's source novel placed more emphasis on the children's twisted decent into madness. Clayton appeared to be heading in the same direction but allows Charlie's arrival to pull everyone back into a relative (if temporary) normalcy. <br /><br />Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.