The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)

An interesting movie that does not seem to be very well known. Rynn (Jodie Foster) is a very independent 13 year old girl. So independent that she lives in a house all by herself. Some of the members of the little village are beginning to get suspicious because they never see Rynn's father who she is supposed to live with. Among the people who wonder where the father is are the richest woman in town, Mrs Hallett (Alexis Smith) and her pervert son, Frank (Martin Sheen). What they do not know is that Rynn has gotten rid of all the people who threaten her lifestyle and is not afraid to do it again. She meets Mario (Scott Jacoby), a local crippled boy and they begin to fall in love. Can she trust Mario with her secret and can she keep her secret hidden from the prying eyes of the small town?

I was very surprised by this movie. I thought it would be a typical cheesy mystery from the 70s but it as not like that at all. Jodie Foster shows early signs of the brilliant actress she would become. Martin Sheen is wonderful as the extremely creepy and strange Frank Hallett and Alexis Smith is equally great as his snobby mother. A good movie for all mystery fans to see.