This film was made in 1976, when thriller/suspense still had to have some semblance of a plot; innuendo rather than special effects; decent acting rather than explosions and violence.

And for that it is to be appreciated. Jodi Foster is very good as Rynn, a mysterious 13 year old who lives alone in a seaside town, somewhere off the coast of Massachusetts. Martin Sheen, as always, is excellent as a neighborhood creep, interested in Rynn, (he has some sort of criminal history against children).

Scott Jacoby is her peer, trying to help her live alone, and stay in the house her father has provided, although her father and mother have both mysteriously disappeared.

All in all an interesting theme, with some beautiful landscapes of the New England, and the beaches during winter. 8/10.

In her woman/child period of Bugsy Malone and Taxi Driver Jodie Foster turned out this curious film. The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane is a 70s version of The Bad Seed. She wants to live alone though given her circumstances I doubt anyone in a responsible position of authority will let her. People just go missing around her including parents.

Acting honors in this film go to Martin Sheen the son of Foster's family's landlady Alexis Smith. As it is designed to do, Sheen's performance will make your skin crawl,

Foster reputedly does not like the finished product. It definitely is in the middle rung at best in her body of work.

In many ways this is a very unpleasant and highly disturbing film, but it is also extremely original and very watchable. Jody Foster plays a 13 year-old who lives on her own but manages to successfully pretend that she lives with her father. Again and again, when adults visit, she manages to convince most of them that he's alive and well though it's painfully obvious to the viewer that she's alone. Now this certainly is not enough to make a movie, so there are some very creepy subplots involving a horribly nosy and cruel real estate agent (Alexis Smith) and her pedophile son (Martin Sheen in a very difficult role). Both are such awful people that you really feel sorry for Foster and most will probably root for her to kill them! In particular, Sheen is super-sickening to watch, as he knows something is amiss and surmises that Foster is all alone--making her the perfect sexual abuse victim. His groping her and killing her pet hamster before her eyes (in a very realistic scene) will no doubt cause many viewers to turn off the film because it is so intense and disturbing. While these didn't bother me too much, a nude scene late in the movie did, as it appeared as if young Foster was naked. The idea of a 13 year-old naked on screen is very disconcerting, though according to IMDb the scene was actually done by Foster's older sister (whew). Regardless, showing so much skin really wasn't necessary and just seemed exploitational--making this the only negative in the film. Aside from that, the movie was surprisingly exciting and managed to make a simple story idea compelling and credible.