The Turn of the Screw (1990)

My favorite adaptation of Turn of the Screw. The story is told in flashback, by an old woman (Marianne Faithful) in a support group; it's not until the end when we discover her role within the tale. Unlike the original tale, it's set in the 1960's - but once we find our way to the isolated country estate, it might as well be the 1890's. The child actors are perfectly creepy and believable; it's quite unsettling when they get corrupted by the evil ghosts of the mansion. I loved Patsy Kensit in the role of the governess; she brought innocence, fear, tenderness and paranoia to the role. It was too cool seeing Julian Sands as the trippy absent uncle, I wished he was in the story some more. This movie is brimming with atmosphere, due to the immense shadowy detailed mansion setting, the freaky editing, and the haunting and disturbing musical score. They've integrated a musical box theme throughout which fits the innocence corrupted theme nicely. The ghostly appearances are geuninely spooky and unsettling. There are some scary dream sequences. The scenes build up momentum to the powerful conclusion. Very rewatchable! A DVD release is past-due.