A governess, portrayed by Deborah Kerr, begins work caring for two young children who have lost their parents at a secluded manor house in the countryside around the time of the new century. The circumstances surrounding her employment are shrouded in mystery and strange events appear to be taking place. Pamela Franklin is featured as the girl among the children. "The Innocents," released in 1961, adapts Henry James’s novella “The Turn of the Screw” from 1898 and was filmed in black and white. The film demonstrates a high level of craftsmanship and establishes an atmosphere consistent with Gothic horror, but the narrative itself feels rather basic, largely dependent on Kerr's performance and involving only three other performers. Consistent with the source material, uncertainty is present: Is the governess experiencing visions or genuinely witnessing what she reports? Supporting the latter possibility is her ability to detail someone’s appearance before having any knowledge of their existence. If this film appeals to your tastes, “The Nightcomers,” a non-official prequel starring Marlon Brando and Stephanie Beacham from 1971, might be worth watching. Though it doesn't contain supernatural occurrences, it provides an inventive backstory for the events in both this movie and James’s original story, with a similar feel to "Last Summer" (1969) and "The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea" (1976). The film has a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Filming locations included Sheffield Park Garden, Dane Mill in Uckfield, East Sussex, England, as well as Shepperton Studios situated southwest of London, along with other nearby areas. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB