Twisted Nerve (1968) on Netflix
Martin Durnley retreats into a child personality he calls Georgie to cope with an infantilizing mother and a resentful stepfather. Caught stealing a toy duck, he draws Susan Harper's sympathy.
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- IMDb7.0/102,867 votes
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Trailer
Plot summary
Martin Durnley's older brother Pete has Down's syndrome and lives at a special boarding school in London. Their father died years ago, and their mother has remarried a wealthy banker, which leaves Martin as the only family figure in Pete's life. In a shop, Martin watches Susan Harper buy a toy, pockets a toy duck, then follows her outside. Two store detectives stop the pair and claim they were working together; Susan says they have never met. In the manager's office Martin says he is mentally challenged and calls himself Georgie. Susan pays for the toy in sympathy, and Martin takes note of the address she gives.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Twisted Nerve (1968)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The film drew complaint letters to the British censor before its release over its use of Down syndrome, then called mongolism, as a catalyst for Martin's actions. One came from the National Association for Mental Health, and the film's medical adviser, Professor Lionel Penrose, asked for his name to be removed from it.
- The film's eerie whistling theme had a life beyond it: Quentin Tarantino used it in Kill Bill: Vol. 1, it became characters' ringtones in Death Proof, and it turned up in Chappa Kurishu, Chotushkone, American Horror Story's first season, a 2015 Honda advert and songs including "Chill Bill" and Ava Max's "Get Outta My Heart".
