“Go in that study Mrs. Hallet and I tell my father about your son… about Halloween.”
Rynn (Jodie Foster) threatens her vicious landlady in “The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane.”

1976 was a busy year for Jodie Foster. In addition to “Taxi Driver,” “Freaky Friday” and “Bugsy Malone,” she starred in this unique little Canadian thriller. “The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane” begins, appropriately enough, on Halloween in a small coastal town. 13-year-old Rynn (Foster) walks along the beach by herself, introspectively looking out into the ocean. Later that evening, inside a beautiful old two-story house, she blows out the candles of her birthday cake. Although she’s alone, the young girl seems content to be there by herself. Her celebration is interrupted by the creepy Frank Hallet (an intense Martin Sheen) who knocks on her door with a leading ‘trick or treat’ greeting. He introduces himself as the son of Mrs. Hallet, the landlady of the house. He then invites himself inside while he waits for his sons who are down the street collecting candy. Rynnn and her father, a famous poet, are new to the area and Frank would like to meet him. Unfortunately her father is working and has given his daughter strict instruction never to bother him while he’s in his study. Frank doesn’t seem to mind, as he’s far more interested in learning more about the birthday girl. The unwelcome Halloween guest then proceeds to not-so-subtly come on to the fourteen-year-old. Rynn, who shows surprising depth for a girl of her age, tersely spurns his advances. Frank’s sons eventually catch up to him and Rynn offers them some of her cake; quickly dismissing them. The sinister Hallet leaves with his sons - promising to return soon. It’s an amazing scene with both actors sharing an intense, uneasy chemistry.

Days later, landlady Mrs. Hallet (the late Alexis Smith) also invites herself inside, rearranging furniture and suspiciously looking around. She requests to speak with Rynn’s father but the elusive poet is again indisposed. She then sheepishly asks the girl if her son has been around - and warns her that it might not be wise to let him inside the house. The pushy woman then tells Rynn that she needs her help in getting some jelly jars left in the basement. This request upsets the teen greatly – who ends up putting the woman in her place and forcing her out of the house. In town Rynn comes across Frank in his car and refuses a ride back home. She befriends a local policeman, Officer Miglioriti (a solid Mort Shuman), who shows some concern about Frank’s unwanted attention. It seems that Frank has a history of inappropriate relationships with underage girls. The officer accompanies Rynn home, wishing to speak to her father but, once again, he is not available. Things take a turn for the worse when Mrs. Hallet returns to the house and threatens to break their lease. She’s also quite keen on retrieving those jelly jars - which Rynn conveniently set aside for her. Unfortunately for our young protagonist (and Mrs. Hallet) the lids were left in the basement. Hallet makes the mistake of going below to retrieve them herself and finds more than just spider webs and jelly lids. Shocked at some unseen horror, she rushes up the stairs too quickly and has a fatal accident with the basement door support. Rynn then finds herself attempting to get rid of Hallet’s car. As she struggles to start the engine, she befriends Mario (Scott Jacoby), a teen magician on his way to a children’s party. The boy, who happens to be Miglioriti’s nephew, is immediately taken with the wise-beyond-her-years Rynn. The two plot to get rid of the car and soon Rynn is sharing her dark little secret with him. It isn’t long before Frank shows up again looking for his mother - and attempts to meddle around with a little girl who’s much more cunning than he could ever have imagined.

Less a horror film than a character-driven mystery thriller, “Little Girl” is an involving, though sometimes clumsy, affair. The narrative eventually loses momentum toward the end, but remains engrossing through Foster’s riveting portrayal. Though far less celebrated than her role in “Taxi Driver,” the young actress is just as strong here and gives the seasoned supporting cast much to contend with. Sheen, just a few years before “Apocalypse Now” turns in a brave performance as the lecherous Frank. His first scene with Foster is a classic and really sets a high bar for the rest of the film. Fortunately Smith, as Frank’s protective mother, is just as wonderful in her precious few scenes with Foster. If the entire film had revolved around these three intriguing characters, it could have become a truly rousing little thriller. Disappointingly, after Mrs. Hallet’s death in the basement, the film loses its prickly edge and begins to meander. Jacoby’s Mario is a charming character but is less defined than the other principals. As her love interest, some of his scenes come off a little false. His character is also curiously left out of much of the third act. “Little Girl” was adapted by Laird Koenig from his novel of the same name. His intriguing premise is often hampered by some oddly stage-bound exposition and an unfocussed second half. Director Nicholas Gessner does a credible job with his expert cast, but seems rather inadequate in building the required suspense. He’s greatly helped out by cinematographer Rene Verzier who creates a wonderful atmosphere of isolation and foreboding. Verzier, whose next project was Cronenberg’s classic “Rabid,” deftly contrasts iconic outdoor shots of fall and winter with the isolated expanse of Rynn’s home. The disco-tinged score by Christian Gaubert, however, works hard to destroy Verzier’s atmospheric visuals. Gaubert’s inappropriate music is such a grating disconnect from the action that it’s a wonder the film works as well as it does.

Given its relative obscurity, it’s not surprising that this is a bare bones release from MGM. There’s absolutely no supplemental material aside from some recent trailers including David Koepp’s “Secret Window.” Fortunately, the film is given a pristine presentation with superb clarity and its original aspect ratio intact. It also has a pleasing Dolby Digital mix in high definition. The beautiful one-sheet, which eschewed its thriller conventions for a more horrific façade, has been replaced by generic artwork for the DVD cover. Though not surprising, it’s an unfortunate decision as the original poster gave the film such strong, if a tad misleading, identity.

Though flawed and light on the horror trappings, “The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane” is a unique and often disturbing little thriller undeserving of its obscure pedigree. Worth watching, if for nothing else, than to witness the amazing performances of Foster, Sheen and Smith. Ideal for Halloween night viewing.