The Other (1972)

Movie Info

Who is the bad seed?

Niles and Holland Perry (Chris Udvarnoky and Martin Udvarnoky) spend their days playing pranks and making up games on their quiet countryside farm. Niles and Holland have a secret however. They know “the great game” that was taught to them by their Russian grandmother Ada (Uta Hagen), and they can leave their bodies simply by projecting their minds. Niles worries about Holland though. Holland has a dark streak and people are starting to get hurt…the great game is about to get much more dangerous.

Directed by Robert Mulligan, The Other is a horror suspense thriller. The movie is based on the Tom Tryon 1971 novel and received mixed reviews from critics.

I can remember The Other airing late at nights a lot as a kid. The movie had this weird creepy (totally 1970s) feel to it despite being set in the past with lots of sunny sundrenched scenes. While the movie is built around an obvious twist, it is still fun to watch and put together with creatively. Due to the story aspects, a *******spoiler alert******* is in effect for the rest of the review.

Holland has a secret…

I can’t remember if I when I first saw it as a kid if I realized the twist or not, so it is hard to honestly say it is completely obvious. There have been so many movies in recent years (especially after The Sixth Sense) that try to out-twist each other that the twist is almost common, and The Other’s twist is pretty obvious if you are paying attention. Even knowing that Holland is dead and Niles is responsible for everything going on, it is still a compelling movie. It gets a bit muddled with “the great game” and the astral projection (which in the long run serves no real purpose), but the story still keeps a creep factor along the lines of The Bad Seed.

The cast is strong. Twins Chris Udvarnoky and Martin Udvarnoky work in what comes down to a twin study of individual personas (it was their only film). Fame actress Uta Hagen brings some class to the picture and the movie also features one of the first big roles for John Ritter. Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven actor Victor French is the unfortunate Mr. Angelini who pays the price for Niles’ “games”.

Why are we playing this game and what does it really have to do with the plot?

The movie looks great. As mentioned, there is a real ’70s vibe to it. Despite being set in Connecticut, the movie was shot in California (Murphys) and has more of a western feel to the scenery. Mulligan deftly shot the scenes with the twins and never appear together on screen. The movie was subject to tons of edits and cuts which many said diluted the plot and story.

The Other still is a fun film for me and I can’t “not” watch it if it is on. It brings back memories of staying up late, rabbit ears, and bad reception (and our local horror TV host Sammy Terry). Despite the warm moments, it also isn’t a bad picture and deserves to not be forgotten. With an acclaimed director, a fun story, and a strong cast, The Other should be sought out…just don’t tell the ending!!!