''Twisted'' is a 1986 horror and

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...

directed by Adam Holender and starring

Christian Slater Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...

Lois Smith Lois Arlene Smith (née Humbert; born November 3, 1930) is an American character actress whose career spans eight decades. She made her film debut in the 1955 drama film '' East of Eden'', and later played supporting roles in a number of movies ...

, and Tandy Cronyn. The screenplay by

Christopher Coppola Christopher R. Coppola (born January 25, 1962) is an American film director and film producer, producer. Early life Coppola was born in Los Angeles County, California. His father, the late August Coppola, was a professor of literature, while hi ...

and

Nick Vallelonga Nicholas Anthony Vallelonga (born September 13, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is best known for co-writing and producing the film '' Green Book'', for which he received two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Pictur ...

is based on Jack Horrigan's play ''Children! Children!'', which ran one night on Broadway in 1972.

Plot

One evening, the Collins, Phillip and Evelyn, a married couple with two children, discover their maid, Mrs. Murdock, dead at the end of their steps; her neck is broken. Evidently, she had an accident; now they need a new babysitter for an upcoming party. The sensible Helen meets little Susan Collins at the discount market and likes her, so she offers to do the job. She does not know Susan's teenage brother Mark (

): technically skilled and good in school, but restive and cunning. Mark also listens regularly to German marching music from the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. As soon as the parents have left, he psychologically terrorizes Helen and his sister with electronic tricks. Williams (Karl Taylor), a school jock whom Mark burned earlier in science class, comes to the Collins home out for revenge; Mark kills him with a fencing sword. Ultimately, Mark himself is killed when Helen, defending herself, knocks him onto his spiked German helmet. Mark's parents come home to find the house in shambles; Evelyn puts the blame on Helen and tries to have her arrested, unaware that Mark lies dead upstairs. Phillip has already looked in their children's rooms, presumably finding Mark's body, but instead offers Helen a ride home. Helen simply turns down the offer and drives back home herself, with Phillip refusing to have her arrested immediately and suggesting they clean up the house. Secretly, Susan dons her late brother's glasses and proceeds to listen to his

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

music and the cycle begins anew.

Cast

as Mark Collins *

as Helen Giles *Tandy Cronyn as Evelyn Collins *

Dan Ziskie Dan Ziskie is an American actor and photographer. Ziskie portrayed the character Frank Niggar on a popular sketch on '' Chappelle's Show''. He was on '' Treme'', where he played a politically connected banker in Post-Katrina New Orleans. He had a ...

as Phillip Collins * Brooke Tracy as Susan Collins *

Dina Merrill Dina Merrill (born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton; December 29, 1923 – May 22, 2017) was an American actress, heiress, socialite, businesswoman, and philanthropist. Early life Merrill was born in New York City on December 29, 1923, but for man ...

as Nell Kempler

External links

* * * * 1986 films 1986 horror films 1980s psychological thriller films American psychological horror films 1980s psychological horror films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films {{1980s-horror-film-stub