one of the best psychological horror film ever make and if you like the little girl who live down the lane ( 1976 ) you will love our mother house and which take a similar premise and then add some ambitious lord of the fly element and throw in the production design of girly . the 1976 film feature thirteen year old jodie foster menace by martin sheen while keep the death of her father secret so she could maintain her independence . our mother house have seven child work to keep their mother death a secret . they be menace by the arrival of dirk bogarde who they believe to be their father . bogarde agree to help them keep the secret and recognize an opportunity to ingratiate himself with the child and pilfer their mother estate . like foster and the old child ( margaret brook daughter of the screenplay writer ) recognize the threat but the others be take in for a wide assortment of reason while mostly just the desire for the security of have a parent in their life . daughter number two ( pamela franklin ) develop a father figure crush and pull off the best performance of her career . if you wonder what all the fuss be about concern this actress ( who never really become a major star but have a huge cult follow ) you need to see her nail this challenging role . her character undergoes enough transformation for ten film and franklin be believable throughout the process . brook be very good also and watch for the death bed scene at the start of the film . there be a close up of her face at the moment she first realize that her mother have just pass away . it may have be a happy accident and a lucky moment during one of the take and but the editor would have flip when he saw how perfect it be . the three girl in the family generally outshine the boy in this production and although a visit schoolmate name louis ( parnum wallace ) provide a couple moment on camera that be on the same level a those of the girl . some may dispute whether this be actually a horror film ( a they do with the little girl who live down the lane ) . it have some hitchcock element and a bleak old mansion and dead body and séances and and moment of intense suspense but no monster or gore . the mother be a vicar daughter who rebel by take a succession of lover and repent after her seventh child and turn into religious nut case . bogarde character charlie have marry her long ago and allow her to keep give each new child his name . bogarde performance be also top notch and convincingly play against type a a fast talk work class grifter . director jack clayton and ( room at the top and the pumpkin eater and the innocent where he direct an even young pamela franklin ) keep his young cast firmly restrain and they come across a very real especially for character in a very off kilter family . julian gloag source novel place more emphasis on the child twist decent into madness . clayton appear to be head in the same direction but allow charlie arrival to pull everyone back into a relative ( if temporary ) normalcy . then again and what do i know . i be only a child .