The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane

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The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane

PG

1976

1h 31m

Mystery & Thriller

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93%

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15 Reviews

75%

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5,000+ Ratings

Quiet, withdrawn 13-year-old Rynn Jacobs (Jodie Foster) lives peacefully in her home in a New England beach town. Whenever the prying landlady (Alexis Smith) inquires after Rynn's father, she politely claims that he's in the city on business. But when the landlady's creepy and increasingly persistent son, Frank (Martin Sheen), won't leave Rynn alone, she teams up with kindly neighbor boy Mario (Scott Jacoby) to maintain the dark family secret that she's been keeping to herself.

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Melissa Anderson

Village Voice

Gessner's film may be for Foster completists only. But the intensity of her dead-eyed stare as the final credits scroll across her face reminds us of her preternatural ability, as a kid and beyond, to transform even the most negligible movie or scene ...

May 10, 2016

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

Director Nicholas Gessner is deft enough to keep "Little Girl" engrossing from start to finish, and he springs a few witty, creepy surprises.

Dec 21, 2015

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

This thirteen-year-old girl [Jodie Foster] is capable of expressing a complete catalog of emotions with the impassivity of a Sphinx. [Full review in Spanish]

Aug 16, 2023

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

A mostly superb little thriller that sits uncomfortably between character-based drama and exploitation picture.

Rated: 8/10

Feb 8, 2021

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Eve Tushnet

Patheos

Foster is a huge standout...just a ferocious, iconic, convincing portrayal. She makes what could have felt like a mannered film instead feel raw.

Jan 23, 2021

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

A cult classic worthy of a wider following, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is ripe for rediscovery and features Jodie Foster in her first (and one of her best) lead performances.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 8, 2020

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Ed .

A very enterprising young lady. Girlboss before the term was coined.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

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nick s

Wonderful acting by the entire cast. Incredibly compelling by a very young Foster. The storytelling was great and the pacing excellent.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

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Charlize B

Rynn as the "lillte girl" is very minded with her words, and knows how and when to lie on the spot, the movie does have tame horror scenes, but has parts that are worthly, to just stay and watched the whole thing. An glad she got rid of Mrs. Hallet, he's desgusting to even have kids of his own.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

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Christina F

It had some definite iconic moments but nothing that really worked up to what I was wanting, ending was subpar. Watched the movie and just thought to myself "well it was just alright." Wont ever know what the hype was all about.#

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

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Michael C

Evil piece of crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/29/25

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Stephen C

1 hour and 31 minutes of solving mysteries.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/28/25

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Nicolas Gessner

Director

Jodie Foster

Rynn

Martin Sheen

Frank Hallet

Alexis Smith

Mrs. Hallet

Scott Jacoby

Mario

Mort Shuman

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Synopsis

Quiet, withdrawn 13-year-old Rynn Jacobs (Jodie Foster) lives peacefully in her home in a New England beach town. Whenever the prying landlady (Alexis Smith) inquires after Rynn's father, she politely claims that he's in the city on business. But when the landlady's creepy and increasingly persistent son, Frank (Martin Sheen), won't leave Rynn alone, she teams up with kindly neighbor boy Mario (Scott Jacoby) to maintain the dark family secret that she's been keeping to herself.

Director: Nicolas Gessner
Producer: Zev Braun
Screenwriter: Laird Koenig, Laird Koenig
Production Co: Zev Braun Productions, Carnelian Productions, Filmédis, Filmel, Braun Entertainment Group, ICL
Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2018
Runtime: 1h 31m

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