A Judgment in Stone

"A Judgment in Stone", aka "The Housekeeper" perhaps isn't the greatest horror movie/thriller ever made, but it definitely is one of the most original, unique and unconventional films you'll ever see in your lifetime! Based on a novel nobody knew it existed, let alone read, the plot revolves around a timid and extremely introvert middle-class British lady - named Eunice - who never learned how to read and who takes care of her ailing but domineering father. When he obliges Eunice to go back to school to finally learn how to read, she's so terrified to relive her primary school traumas that she kills her father. At the advice of a friend, she applies for the job of family housekeeper in America. Eunice finds work in the home of a prominent doctor, his kind second wife and the teenage son and daughter they both have from a previous marriage. Everything goes well at first, but Eunice desperately must hide the fact she cannot read. When she befriends the nosy and hysterical bible-freak neighbor Joan, and come more under her influence, the situation dramatically escalates.

The strongest asset of "The Housekeeper" is undoubtedly its unpredictability. From sequences earlier in the film, we know that Eunice is capable of murdering, but it's nevertheless difficult to imagine she will go on another and far more intentional killing spree. I can guarantee, however, that the denouement is brutal and genuinely shocking, and it more than widely compensates for the admittedly rather boring and uneventful middle section (even though the uncanniness level is maintained throughout the entire film). Evidently, and this is a big weakness, you can't help wondering the whole time why Eunice simply doesn't confess to her employers that she's illiterate. What's the worst that could happen to her, really? Rita Tushingham, the actress playing Eunice, is stupendous, but Jackie Burroughs is possibly even more genius as the totally derailed Joan. Furthermore, the story touches upon certain delicate themes that were still very much taboo in the mid-80s, like romances between stepsiblings. Good film, very obscure, but worth tracking down.

Interesting horror movie based on a successful book, in which a psychopath is hired as a maid and kills the whole family.

The triggers of her murderous rampage are a fanatically religious neighbor and her illiteracy which, when discovered, sends her into crisis.

It is puzzling how a seemingly innocuous fact like knowing how to read can trigger such madness. There is a deep conflict between the rich, educated and literate family and the maid of humble origins, illiterate and raised by a psychotic father who left her with the disease.

Rita Tushingham stars as a dyslexic British maid, and formerly abused child who's a little too sensitive about not being able to read. This is NOT a common slasher film, by any long shot, as these types of films were in the 1970's and '80's. After seeing what she does in the kitchen, I've barely been able to hold a knife, or even think about similar scenes from horror films for months. As of this writing, I can't get that scene, or an equally gruesome one from "Parents," out of my mind...and neither will you. And worse, you may even sympathize with her!

Rita Tushingham plays a British woman who murders her father and has an even worse secret: she's illiterate! Oh no! What to do? She moves to America to become a housekeeper for a (rather dysfunctional?!) wealthy family. All is fine and dandy until she flubs up on watering the patriarch's beloved plants because she can't read the instructions he left for her while they were on vacay. This is mostly dull, but has nice touches like incestuous step-sibs, the housekeeper's hilarious whore-turned-religious-freak gal-pal, and a finale that's to die for. Tushingham is excellent as always and revels in the mousiness of her character.

The Housekeeper is a reasonable adaptation of A Judgement in Stone with some dramatic license here and there. Rita Tushingham stars as an illiterate anti-social who murders her father and gets a job as the housekeeper to a wealthy family. She befriends the local busybody and religious freak and they develop a disturbing friendship that leads to murder.

It's not too hard to see where The Housekeeper is going early on. You know the titular character will lose her mind and blood will be shed but this film is interesting enough to leave you wondering how this will all go down and it's still pretty grisly once it does.

Tushingham is wonderful as Eunice and Jackie Burroughs plays to the cheap seats as Joan, the religious freak who gets Eunice mixed up in her own insanity. Everyone else is fine at best.