The Nightcomers (1971)

Two orphaned children (Christopher Ellis, Verna Harvey) are left in the care of their governess (Stephanie Beacham) and a housekeeper (Thora Hird) in the country while their guardian (Harry Andrews) lives in London. But the sadomasochistic sexual relationship between the governess and the groundskeeper (Marlon Brando) have a malevolent influence on the impressionable children. A prequel to the Henry James novel THE TURN OF THE SCREW and directed by Michael Winner. It's a fascinating premise that I wish were better. Brando (despite his wonky Irish accent) and Beacham are fine but the child actors (actually, Vera Harvey was 18 at the time of filming) aren't good enough to to give us a sense of how corrupted they are. They go through the motions but I didn't really feel the horror of innocent children corrupted by deviant adults. The film is perhaps too literal which takes away from the vagueness of the Henry James novel (and the superb 1961 film version, THE INNOCENTS). Still, there's no denying this is a disturbing film. With Anna Palk as Miss Giddens.