The Innocents (1961)

Starring Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins, Michael Redgrave, Martin Stephens
Directed by Jack Clayton
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A young woman takes a job as governess to two children at a large estate, but after witnessing ghostly visions there, fears the children have become corrupted by evil.

A faithful adaptation of Henry James' novella, The Turn Of The Screw, the picture is beautiful to look at, with vivid atmospheric scenery, and Clayton and his crew skillfully build a feeling of unease that helps escalate suspense.  Cinematographer Freddie Francis, who would later distinguish several future British horror films as their director, shows a talent for defining the visuals of the genre in eerie imagery and effectively fluid tracking shots, while still capturing the actors beautifully.  The cast is also first rate, with Stephens and Pamela Franklin beguiling as the titular children, Jenkins warm as the kindly housekeeper, and Kerr of course accomplished as the governess who may be as righteous as she thinks she is being, or possibly on the edge of losing her sanity.  I read on Wikipedia that the truth of whether Kerr's character has insight into evil or is overreacting has been much debated by scholars, so it seems appropriate that Clayton and his screenwriters, including the famed Truman Capote, have chosen to leave her character's actions for the audience to judge.  Viewers expecting a conventional ghost story with shocks and moaning spectres should be warned this isn't that type of film, but it is a beautiful production with more and more to notice upon each viewing.

Village Of The Damned (1960)

Starring George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Martin Stephens, Michael Gwynn, Laurence Naismith
Directed by Wolf Rilla
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

The village of Midwich, England is terrorized by a group of youngsters born under mysterious circumstances and possessing the power to read minds and control the minds of others.

A distinguished sci-fi/horror classic based on a novel by John Wyndham, the film features one of George Sanders' top performances and a wonderfully unsettling tone, combining the well-cast children with glowing eye effects and eerie music to convey their danger.  The screenplay is also first-rate, fascinating us with the children while fostering our imagination with what it leaves unsaid.  Also well-photographed and edited, it's a still potent chiller.