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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Popcornmeter

93%

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14 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Quiet, withdrawn 13-year-old Rynn Jacobs (Jodie Foster) lives peacefully in her home in a New England beach town.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

May 10, 2016

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 ...

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

Dec 21, 2015

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

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Aug 16, 2023

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]

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Feb 8, 2021

8/10

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

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Eve Tushnet

Patheos

Jan 23, 2021

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

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Oct 8, 2020

3.5/5

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.

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Ed .

@RT01276001 Aug 29, 2025

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

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nick s

@Nick_S Aug 12, 2025

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

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Charlize B

@RT86903578 Jul 15, 2025

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.

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Christina F

@RT72116323 Jul 12, 2025

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.#

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Michael C

@Movies121985 Jun 29, 2025

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

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Stephen C

@bob25009 May 28, 2025

1 hour and 31 minutes of solving mysteries.

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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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