Ronald Wilby certainly isn't your run-of-the-mill, sadistic and cruel serial killer. Played by Scott Jacoby, who starred as Mario in The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976), Ronald never meant to kill anyone. It was just an accident that got him condemned to living in the walls of his mom's creepy old house.
So why rate this relatively unknown mystery/horror film a 10/10? Well, it has to be one of the most thrilling horror films I've ever seen, and Ronald is definitely a misunderstood character. His mother is sick and she has good intentions but doesn't understand why her son is bullied. He's a rather nerdy guy, but he also has a love for Chinese paintings, inventing his own fictional kingdom on paper. On his birthday, he stops by to see some "friends" and they all make fun of him. In dismay he leaves, only to knock the little sister of one of the bullies off her bike by mistake. She insults him, they argue, and he pushes her... and SPLAT, she hits her head on a brick of concrete.
Ronald's mother helpfully hides him in the walls, in their elaborate plan to stage his supposed running away to nosy neighbors and cops. When she goes for an operation one day, she dies in the hospital, leaving a new family buying the decrepit house and poor Ronald stuck trying to keep his home, and existence, a secret, especially with Mrs. Schumacher, the next-door old bat, always peeping in the windows to spy.
The soundtrack, it's very nostalgic with a 1970's atmosphere, and both melancholy and incredibly creepy, perfect for this movie. The acting was great, the plot original, and the movie was very sad in some ways but it has its comedic moments: Mrs. Schumacher makes a large assortment of funny faces each time she peeks into the window of the house. The good-natured but bumbling police officer is certainly no help, but very funny as he repeatedly is oblivious to the obvious.
Don't pass this retro classic by, it's a film you'll want to see if you're an avid horror fan, mystery fan, Scott Jacoby fan or just somebody looking for an entertaining film to watch. I also recommend The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976), Don't Go in the House (1979), Magic (1978) and The Changeling (1980).
So why rate this relatively unknown mystery/horror film a 10/10? Well, it has to be one of the most thrilling horror films I've ever seen, and Ronald is definitely a misunderstood character. His mother is sick and she has good intentions but doesn't understand why her son is bullied. He's a rather nerdy guy, but he also has a love for Chinese paintings, inventing his own fictional kingdom on paper. On his birthday, he stops by to see some "friends" and they all make fun of him. In dismay he leaves, only to knock the little sister of one of the bullies off her bike by mistake. She insults him, they argue, and he pushes her... and SPLAT, she hits her head on a brick of concrete.
Ronald's mother helpfully hides him in the walls, in their elaborate plan to stage his supposed running away to nosy neighbors and cops. When she goes for an operation one day, she dies in the hospital, leaving a new family buying the decrepit house and poor Ronald stuck trying to keep his home, and existence, a secret, especially with Mrs. Schumacher, the next-door old bat, always peeping in the windows to spy.
The soundtrack, it's very nostalgic with a 1970's atmosphere, and both melancholy and incredibly creepy, perfect for this movie. The acting was great, the plot original, and the movie was very sad in some ways but it has its comedic moments: Mrs. Schumacher makes a large assortment of funny faces each time she peeks into the window of the house. The good-natured but bumbling police officer is certainly no help, but very funny as he repeatedly is oblivious to the obvious.
Don't pass this retro classic by, it's a film you'll want to see if you're an avid horror fan, mystery fan, Scott Jacoby fan or just somebody looking for an entertaining film to watch. I also recommend The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976), Don't Go in the House (1979), Magic (1978) and The Changeling (1980).