What the Peeper Saw (1972) User Reviews

NIGHT CHILD (James Kelly and, uncredited, Andrea Bianchi, 1972) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 21 August 2008]

I'd always been intrigued by this controversial film, given its cast and subject matter; being an international production between Spain, Great British and Italy, it was released under various titles – DIABOLICA MALICIA in Spain, LA TUA PRESENZA NUDA in Italy and several more in English-speaking countries, but perhaps most popularly as the obscure NIGHT HAIR CHILD (which is how I knew it) and the lurid WHAT THE PEEPER SAW; the print I watched, then, omitted the middle word from the former and left it at that!

Anyway, the film is notorious for turning Mark Lester, the cute protagonist from the musical OLIVER! (1968), into a true nightmare of a child: liar, sadist, voyeur, lecher, murderer! As I said earlier, he's surrounded by other notables: Britt Ekland (at the height of her beauty) is his bewildered stepmom; Hardy Kruger plays the boy's clueless and over-protective father; and, also appearing in bit parts, are Harry Andrews as the headmaster of Lester's school (who's forced to expel him due to gross misconduct) and Lilli Palmer as a psychiatrist (intending to analyze the boy, she ends up checking in Ekland for treatment!).

The film is undeniably sleazy, as we get to see Ekland stripping in front of Lester (at his behest, but to which she acquiesces in order to get at the truth of his mother's mysterious demise!) and even getting into bed with him stark naked (though this is presented as a mere hallucination on her part, witnessed by a cackling Kruger!); however, it's lifted out of the exploitation rut by all-round credible performances and a typically nice score by Stelvio Cipriani. The scene, then, in which Lester imagines his mother's corpse (whom he has callously killed in the film's very opening scene) in the pool is effectively macabre; the finale, too, is worth waiting for: the boy almost coerces Ekland (no sooner has she been released from the asylum) into murdering Kruger and becoming his lover since he tells her she's closer to his own age (Lester being 12 and Ekland 22, while Kruger's 42!); she gives him the impression of agreeing with this latest scheme of his but, realizing the kid will never change, Ekland immediately provides herself with the opportunity to get rid of Lester once and for all…

Incidentally, co-director Bianchi would go on to make an even more explicit 'monster child' effort on his home turf with MALABIMBA – THE MALICIOUS WHORE (1979); as for Britisher Kelly, his only other film was the passable Tigon production THE BEAST IN THE CELLAR (1970). By the way, I have two more of Lester's vintage films to check out – MELODY (1971) and another Italian-made "Grindhouse" flick, REDNECK (1973); while I'm at it, I should try to get my hands on EYEWITNESS (1970), the well-regarded Hitchcockian thriller he starred in that was entirely filmed in Malta.

Disappointing performances in a lacklustre thriller

[The_Void · 6/10 · 13 July 2008]

Night Hair Child has all the elements to be a disturbing and dark thriller; especially considering the sick and twisted plot line. However, despite a few interesting ideas; this film doesn't capitalise on them, and unfortunately it's only an average film that is nowhere near as disturbing as it could have been. The plot basically focuses on the idea of a 'problem child' causing problems between his parent and a new significant other. The problem child idea has been done many times throughout cinema; but a less common variant is a film like this, where sleaze take centre stage. However, such is the disappointment of Night Hair Child; not even the sleaze is all that prominent. The plot focuses on Elise; a beautiful young woman who has married older man Paul. Paul's wife apparently died in a strange bathtub incident and this has had a damning effect on her son Marcus, who unluckily for Elise, has returned home from school early and has took it upon himself to wreck their marriage by way of getting in between them with lies and bad behaviour.

The main problem with this film is definitely the acting. A plot like this needs strong performances from the leads and it just doesn't get them. Britt Ekland has been good in other films where a great performance is not needed; but she just doesn't have the talent for this role and despite looking nice, she doesn't deliver what is needed. Her opposite number is Mark Lester. I can completely understand the attraction of having the star of Oliver in a role as a twisted sex pervert; but unfortunately, he's a terrible actor that never conveys any emotion at all and simply does not convince in his role. He's also very irritating and every scene he features in is a struggle to get through. The plot is nowhere near as interesting as it could have been either; the exchanges between the central characters lack imagination, and only the scene where Britt Ekland strips for Mark Lester is really memorable; and it's not as memorable as a similar scene in Lucio Fulci's Don't Torture a Duckling starring Barbara Bouchet. Overall, it's a shame but I wouldn't really say that this film is even worth a look.

Passably engrossing entertainment.

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 10 October 2016]

"What the Peeper Saw" is much more of a psychological drama than a horror film, or even a thriller. It focuses heavily on the antagonistic relationship between Elise (Britt Ekland), the new wife of an older man, successful author Paul (Hardy Kruger), and her stepson Marcus (Mark Lester of "Oliver!" fame). They initially seem to get along all right, but Elise becomes increasingly frustrated by this enigmatic, aloof kid, who acts much older than his actual age. She comes to suspect that he had murdered his biological mother Sarah (Colette Giacobine), and now has similar designs on her.

As directed by James Kelley ("The Beast in the Cellar"), you can't ever expect a lot of tension in this film. That doesn't seem to be its primary concern. It DOES have a sexual charge about it, however. Hell, the uncut version opens with a scene of nudity. The evolving relationship between our heroine and bratty antagonist does play up this quality. (Still, it must be noted that you don't ever see the kid indulge in the act of peeping on screen.) The single most memorable sequence involves the two main characters exchanging clothes for information, as Elise strips in front of Marcus in order to get some truths out of him.

And this kid is one truly cagey character. One thing you can expect is that the scenario turns into one of "he said, she said", and Elise is understandably flustered that she can get almost nobody to believe her about this bad seed.

Ekland is no great shakes as a dramatic actress, but she just looks so damn fine that some viewers probably won't mind very much. (She DOES give the proceedings an earnest effort.) Kruger is fine as the dad, but the film belongs to young Lester, who's quite amusing throughout. Lilli Palmer and Harry Andrews are excellent in special guest appearances as a psychiatrist and school headmaster.

The out of nowhere violent ending is downright hilarious, even if it's probably not intended to be that way.

The Italian version is credited to Andrea Bianchi ("Strip Nude for Your Killer", "Burial Ground").

Six out of 10.

A beautiful woman begins to suspect that her angelic-looking stepson murdered his real mother, then fears that the disturbed child may have similarly sinister plans for her.

[verna55 · 14 September 2000]

This underrated '70's psycho-thriller is aided by a strong cast, which includes Mark Lester(of OLIVER! fame) as the disturbed youngster, Britt Ekland as the terrified stepmother, Hardy Kruger as the boy's well-meaning, but clueless father, and Lilli Palmer as a seemingly level-headed psychologist. Admittedly, it's little more than THE BAD SEED with a sex change and a few kinky, voyeuristic sequences thrown in for good measure, but the wonderful cast has done wonders with their roles, particularly Lester who gives a startlingly mature and downright chilling performance as the evil child. After seeing him go at it as the little stepson from Hell, it's hard to believe that this is the same little boy who captured our hearts in the award-winning musical "OLIVER!". It takes a good actor to play two wildly different roles so convincingly, and that's Lester. After seeing him in these two films alone, I'm convinced he's one of the finest child actors of all time! After doing some research, I've discovered that the magnificent Lester has retired from show business and is now an osteopath. The medical profession's gain is our loss.

Bad little boy! Yet revenge takes a twist and turn!

[blanbrn · 6/10 · 19 November 2017]

"What the Peeper Saw" is an okay erotic B suspense movie type that's filled with drama and a past that haunts the central character. And the movie is spiced up okay with some sexy skin scenes from model Britt Ekland. The film has a plot that involves A beautiful woman(Britt Ekland)who's married and her husband has a little boy from his previous marriage and her little innocent looking stepson(Mark Lester)supposedly murdered his mother.

All of a sudden signs are seen that this little boy is crazy and may murder again as strange things start to happen yet after some bonding and trust is made the film takes an unexpected twist at the end as what comes around goes around karma!

"The Bad Seed" with a sexual bent...

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 11 July 2017]

Precocious 12-year-old boy, a thief and a liar--and possible sociopath--has been expelled from boarding school for voyeuristic behavior and for killing an animal; now, he's turned his attentions to his new stepmother, a sympathetic young woman in her 20s who comes to suspect (over her husband's objections) that the lad is spying on them...and was instrumental in his own mother's death. Deranged tale with a perverse, uncomfortably sexualized scenario that puts great demands on its two main players, pre-teen Mark Lester and beautiful (if sulky) Britt Ekland. Both seem to struggle with this material, which is often ridiculous when it means to be shocking and titillating. The narrative is choppy and fails to hang together, particularly in the third act which darts around hoping to set up a delicious twist ending but instead makes the participants look foolish. *1/2 from ****

Troubled if still enjoyable effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 6/10 · 7 December 2016]

After moving into her husbands' house, a stepmother begins to get increasingly concerned about his sons' growing psychotic behavior that becomes eerily similar to the antics that killed his first wife and begins to fear for her safety around him.

This was quite the disturbing if flawed effort overall. What really tends to work here for this one is the fact that there's a rather sleazy tone present in a retelling of a rather familiar story. With the film exploring the familiar set-up involving her arrival alongside his return home that gradually leads to the discovery of even darker activities just within the surface, that allows this one to adapt plenty of sleazy thrills into this one that makes for a rather appropriate fit into the times. The general scenes of her nude, either walking through the house after showering or lounging about in barely-there swimsuits are fine enough, but to include the scenes of her being actively fondled while on the phone or the stand-out scene of being forced to strip completely naked in front of him all gives it a rather depraved tone and feel which is quite apparently a sign of the times. Given that this is all tied together with the more traditional elements found in the adaptation of the original story, it goes along quite nicely with the stories of his deviant behavior at the school, the mysteriously quiet nature of his general appearance and the growing paranoia experienced by the thought that he's targeting her for the same reasons to really build up the thriller aspects of the storyline. That also leaves the film into quite a rousing final half which comes with some rather fun times here as she finally learns the truth indulging in a series of fantasies about what to do to him and finally leading into the final revelation that makes for quite a nice finale. Even with these positives, there are a few flaws to be found here. The biggest issue here is the film's rather dramatic sense of pacing, tending to feature more in the way of straightforward drama rather than any kind of horrific activity. It's all basically the idea that he's done these terrible things yet never follows through or shows any of it happening, forcing this one to go nearly it's entire running time before any kind of action actually occurs as nearly all the scenes of her running around trying to find out the truth indeed build up the mystery without anything actually happening causing this one to be incredibly boring at times. Nowhere else is this most evident than in the encounter with the psychiatrist which is so bland and dull despite all the revelations coming out that there's nothing all that enjoyable about it that comes to pass from it. The other main flaw here is the fact that this one is so obviously based on the famous adaptation of the main story that it feels way too predictable throughout here, going from familiar set-up to familiar set-up without any deviation which makes for a rather routine affair here. This is due mainly to the idea that she's being made out to be crazy and nothing she says is the truth, which is quite the familiar storyline here and this one running so close to that storyline. These here are what really hold this one back.

Rated Unrated/R: Full Nudity, Language, Mild Violence and sexual situations including erotic teasing of a minor.

Don't listen to them

[dave_or_did · 2/10 · 31 August 2004]

The very dark plot could have worked, but its all too exploitative, sleazy and cheesy. As interesting as it is to see Mark Lester play a different character to that he plays in Oliver, it doesn't stop him being incredibly wooden. Also, every time something f&*ked up happens in the film, the characters show very little reaction to it, which is infuriating. Its a mess too, the end especially, which is very shocking, and was probably one of my favourite moments, but it seems almost tacked on as an afterthought it happens so randomly.

Basically its just twisted soft porn (disturbingly almost verging towards child porn at times) masquerading as an intelligent thriller.

Don't listen to the other reviewers, its not worth tracking down.

Slightly perverse psychodrama.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 12 October 2010]

Twelve year old Marcus is a pure bad seed.The boy has the history of animal abuse,sexual perversion and possibly murder.His mother died mysteriously during so-called tragic accident.Marcus is a manipulative and cruel boy.His rich father Paul marries Elise played by Britt Ekland.Marcus becomes obsessed with her and tragic occurrences follow."Night Child" aka "What the Peeper Saw" is an unsettling psychological thriller with few controversial set-pieces including the scenes where Elise strips in front of Marcus,shots of Marcus caressing Elise's breasts and finally short bed scene between Elise and Marcus.The acting is decent and Britt Ekland is truly one of the most beautiful women ever seen on screen.Be sure to track down an uncut version!

Very disturbing movie

[stefanozucchelli · 6/10 · 10 April 2022]

Disturbing movie from different points of view. That child is more disturbing than a child possessed by the devil and for this very reason the end it makes is even more surprising. There is a sudden reversal of roles disagrees with the movie and what we expected is completely upset by the events. The surprise effect is certainly so full, that fright is not. An overall interesting movie to watch.

Ekland Is Gorgeous

[Jimmy_the_Gent4 · 4/10 · 13 October 2022]

The new young wife (Britt Ekland) of a widower (Hardy Kruger) is suspicious of her strange stepson (Mark Lester).

A 1970s psychological thriller with an interesting cast. Lester was the star of the 1968 Best Picture Oliver! Kruger was the star of the 1962 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film, Sundays And Cybele. Ekland was the former wife of Peter Sellers. Lilli Palmer (Body And Soul 1947) plays a psychiatrist.

The story is bizarre but confusing and a bit dull and talky. Seeing Lester playing an evil child is interesting but he is not given much to do. It is a bit scandalous because it hints at a sexual relationship between Ekland and Lester. She wants to find information about the death of his mother and he says he will tell her if she strips for him, and she does. There is also scene of a topless Ekland hugging Lester in bed. Ekland is at the height of her sexiness here. She is looks great in a bikini and tight slacks and is nude in a few scenes. There are many closeups of her stunningly beautiful face with her big eyes and pouty lips. Unless you really want to see her scenes you can fast forward to them and forget the rest.

The Omen minus the supernatural

[AvinashPatalay · 17 June 2009]

Its a well directed movie and needless to say it must have been a tight rope-walking to handle the taboo subject which must been akin to playing with fireball given the fact that movie debuted on screens way back in 1972. The movie seems more of psychological thriller as it involves quite a bit of mind-games.

Mark Lester as Marcus does a wonderful job. His character seems more like Damien from The Omen and gets to mouth intelligent lines. He looked on higher side for being portrayed aged twelve.

Britt Ekland gets the meaty bit of the role. Portrays the dilemma of the character quite well. Though the character of Elise starts off as a compassionate mother but as the movie progresses it evolves to be victim of Marcus and then leading to inquisitive wife attempting to unearth the truth.

Hardy Kruger seemed to have underplayed the of role of Paul as torn between the two ends. Otherwise his character had a variety of dimensions to it and certainly could have elevated the grey shades of it.

Narrative begins to build up as the movie progresses. Interesting parts are moves Marcus and Elise to play on the chess board attempting to out-beat each other. The part where Elise begins to get clues about the death is interestingly directed (the jigsaw picture), though might seem primitive my todays standards. The vivid imaginations of Elise comes across quite okay.

And yes, the end was well justified so don't miss the last 60-seconds of the movie.

Lost Treasure

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 27 November 2014]

A wealthy author's second wife (Britt Ekland) begins to suspect her 12-year old stepson (Mark Lester) may have murdered his mother whom mysteriously died in a bathtub accident. Hardy Krüger ("Sundays and Cybele") plays the father.

The film was directed by James Kelley ("The Beast in the Cellar"). The Italian version of the film credits the prolific Andrea Bianchi as writer and director, under the pseudonym Andrew White. The cast is strong, with child star Mark Lester ("Oliver!") and Bond girl Britt Ekland ("The Wicker Man") appropriately cast.

As of 2014, the cut version is available on CrypticTV (and probably YouTube), with the uncut now out on Blu-ray from VCI. Although, the latter is very, very pricey. Depending on how you see it, of course, the sound and picture will vary in quality. Overall, though, well worth seeking out for fans of 1970s Italian horror / suspense movies.

Italian-Spanish Giallo Thriller with Britt EKLAND, Mark LESTER and Hardy KRÜGER

[ZeddaZogenau · 7/10 · 22 December 2023]

Remarkable psychological thriller with Hardy Krüger, Britt Ekland and Mark Lester

Four years after the brilliant and Oscar-winning musical "Oliver!" With him in the title role, the child star Mark Lester, born in 1958, surprised us with this bizarre psychological thriller that really has it all.

The wife of the successful Paul (Hardy Krüger) dies under strange circumstances. Their son Marcus (Mark Lester) is deported to an English boarding school. Meanwhile, Paul marries the very young and damn pretty Elise (Britt Ekland) and moves into a new house with her somewhere in southern Spain (filming took place near Almeria). One day young Marcus shows up there unexpectedly and talks about an early vacation. A strange relationship with erotic undertones immediately develops between the actually childish boy (Mark Lester was still twelve years old at the time of filming) and the beautiful blonde. Elise feels increasingly uncomfortable around the boy. Paul, who is often physically and mentally absent, hardly seems to be aware of all this or tries rather unsuccessfully to calm his worried wife. The situation comes to a head when Elise finds out that the boarding school (headmaster: Harry Andrews) is not on vacation yet. Even a psychotherapist (Lilli Palmer) who is brought in to help is unable to unravel the opaque web of relationships. The matter escalates into a bizarre power struggle between son and stepmother, especially as it becomes increasingly uncertain whether the deceased mother was not the victim of a crime...

Something like that could only be allowed in the progressive seventies! A film with an all-star cast in which there are irritating scenes between a young woman and an adolescent. Even if everything remains very modest, it's still difficult to swallow! A film that shows a child who could well be capable of very evil deeds! A film that takes into account the relaxed sexual morals of the 1970s, but also shows that it is primarily the father who withdraws from the conflict and thus makes everything worse. Certainly not a very happy role for Hardy Krüger, who was born in 1928, but he is extremely convincing as a slow-witted busybody. But the highlights remain the famous Mark Lester (later a close friend of Michael Jackson, both former child stars) and the really good Britt Ekland (born in Stockholm in 1942), who impressed two years later as a Bond girl and made a guest appearance in the popular film in 1984 Crime series "The Fall Guy" had, reserved. Lilli Palmer's role is unfortunately very small, but it's always nice to see her in international films.

A very special and daring film that remains exciting until the end and has a fascinating relationship constellation to tell.

Before Rod there was Mark.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 31 January 2024]

Night Hair Child (AKA What the Peeper Saw) is an amazingly perverse thriller, one that ran into problems with the British censors due to the introduction of the Protection of Children Act in 1978, meaning that certain scenes involving 12-year-old Mark Lester (of Oliver! Fame) and a naked Britt Ekland were trimmed.

I managed to watch the uncut BluRay version of the film and can understand how the film ruffled feathers: it's still controversial stuff, Ekland (then in her late-20s) stripping for the boy, kissing him, and rolling around with him in bed.

Lester plays public schoolboy Marcus, who arrives at his father's home in Spain to the surprise of his new step-mother Elise (Ekland); Marcus tells her that there has been an outbreak of chicken pox at his English boarding school so he has been sent home. As the days go by, Elise realises that Marcus is a wrong 'un (the first clue being when he gropes her breasts) and discovers that, In reality, the boy has been expelled for gross misconduct. Marcus's father Paul (Hardy Krüger) attributes his son's bad behaviour to the fact that his mother died in a terrible accident, but Elise suspects that her step-son knows more about the tragedy than he is letting on.

An eye-opener this film most certainly is, but it's also a very effective thriller, with an amazingly chilling performance from its young star (and a not-so-great turn by Ekland - but she looks great, so it's easy to forgive her less than stellar acting). The pace is decent, the direction stylish, and the plot is engaging throughout, the whole thing wrapping up neatly with a shock ending.

7/10.

Psychos Are Not Ageist... Treat Your Kids Well...

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 6/10 · 17 September 2020]

My Ratings: Story 1.25 : Direction 1.00 : Pace 1.00 : Acting 1.25 : Entertaining 1.25 Total 5.75 out of 10.00.

It would appear I'm having a Britt Ekland and Mark Lester month. Last week I watched Ekland in Endless Night, and last night I watched Lester in Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? So how good are they together?

Not bad, but not that great either. Though this is a better movie than Endless Night it comes nowhere near Auntie Roo.

What the writers give us is the story of a little boy, Marcus. After his mother died in an accident, they send him to an English Boarding School. He is subsequently suspended for lewd drawings and questionable behaviour. Upon returning to his Father, who he calls Paul, and his new girlfriend, Elise, we get the feeling that things are not what they seem with Marcus. He is controlling and manipulative and likes to play with people and their emotions to see how they will react. With, his writer father away from home a lot, he attaches himself to Elise. Making her the target for his experiments.

The thing is, he doesn't go far enough. It could have strengthened the story and film had Marcus been painted a tad blacker in character. Especially after the strip scene which clearly puts him in control of Elise. Elise's character also needed enhancing. Her change in character needed a more thorough documentation. As for the Father, Paul... Well, I've never liked fathers who wanted their kids calling them by their names. Adults need to show authority and capability to their kids. Give them somebody to look up to and rely on. Paul is just Paul to Marcus, who has little to no respect for him... unless it serves him to. As the story is chiefly character-driven, I found the characters wanting.

The direction could have done with a swift kick as well. There's nothing too special or memorable in the film, except for the strip for information scene. Director James Kelly opts not to show Elise naked and uses Marcus' head to cover her essentials. Which made me giggle a little as we'd seen her naked in previous scenes with Paul. But this play with camera angles and obstacles is the only innovative shot in the film. Kelly could also have used a couple of changes in tempo, especially in the scene where Elise is rifling through Marcus' things. We know Marcus is coming back... will he catch her? This should have been a tense sequence for the audience, however, since Kelly keeps it all at one pace it lacks the power it required.

There's one bright light, though. The three main cast members are all excellent in their portrayals. Lester does exceedingly well as Marcus. He gets the cocky, belligerent, know-it-all down pat. Hardy Kruger, as Paul, is good at being self-centred; he only listens when he wants to, and if he thinks you're wrong, then you're wrong. There's no give in this guy. Ekland does a decent concerned, wanna-be parent, and lover. She knows something's not right. But she's less convincing as a drunk and a homicidal depressive - though this could be down to the writing as both these scenes feel "bolted on" to add interest.

This is not quite a Giallo film. There are elements there, but the storyline isn't sinuous enough. Therefore, I would only recommend this to lovers of psychological thrillers and general thrillers. It is worth one watch, though I won't be returning to this movie for a good while... if ever.

Speed on over to my Killer Thriller Chillers and The Game Is Afoot to see where I ranked this movie. You may even find something to help you through the Lockdown in these tragic times.

Take Care and Stay Well.

Problem Child, eat your heart out.

[ElijahCSkuggs · 8/10 · 6 July 2008]

Seeing that this flick was about a pervert kid I almost instinctively picked it up. Even though I was intrigued about the story-line, the expectations of this flick was pretty low. I was pretty much just hoping for a couple scenes of nudity, ya know, some bosoms. Not only did I get some bosoms, I also was treated with a decent lil flick.

The story's main focus is on a lady named Elease who's now the wife of a very wealthy man named Paul. Somewhat recently Paul's previous wife, Sara, accidentally died in a bathtub mishap. Paul and Sara had one child together, and that is Marcus, the original problem child. ;) Marcus, Paul and Elease are trying to begin a new life together, but not all is going so smoothly and things begin heading down the wrong path.

The Night Child aka What the Peeper Saw was definitely a neat little flick, that surprised me on a few accounts. With only three main characters really, and what seems to be moderate acting abilities in all, the film still managed to keep the viewer (me) interested in what the next scene would bring. Elease and Marcus lead the show. With Elease's beautiful face and ability to keep the viewer (me) waiting for more nudity, she did a fine job with her respective role. But the kid who played Marcus did a very good job as the weirdo, neurotic lead. His mature, intellectual approach really was well-done and pretty damn entertaining. Even though he felt robotic at times, it seemed to add to his weirdass vibe.

With a story that involves a bizarre little kid, and where you're second guessing his motives and his behavior, and a lead actress who is gorgeous, you've got the makings of a very good film. The pacing does have it's problems and some scenes do go on for a tad too long, but overall The Night Child was a nice surprise.

Not the worst of its kind, but not the best either

[lazarillo · 9 January 2005]

This is just what the world needed--the star of "Oliver" as a pubescent sex pervert and psychopath. A young woman (Swedish sex symbol Britt Ekland)marries an older man soon after his first wife dies in a mysterious bathtub accident. All is fine until his creepy 12-year-old son (played by Mark "Oliver" Lester) returns home early from school. The cold, precocious youngster tortures and kills animals, tells malicious lies to turn her husband against her, spies on them in bed(this was alternately marketed under the more lurid title "What the Peeper Saw"), and for the piece de resistance forces her to strip while he reveals the truth about what happened to his mother. This movie is not entirely uninteresting, but it is let down by the acting. Britt Ekland was great dancing naked in "The Wicker Man" and tolerable as a bikini-clad Bond girl in "The Man with the Golden Gun", but she is simply not a good enough actress to play a dramatic lead. As for Lester there is probably a reason he never made the leap from child to adult star--he was pretty much a British MacCauley Culkin (who years later would star in a very similar "Bad Seed"-type movie called "The Good Son"). Lester is not very scary and he's certainly not very convincing as an erudite child genius (who names his dogs "Trotsky" and "Hanibal").

Modern audiences will probably be surprised by the sexual intrigue between Ekland and Lester. I don't know if that scene where she strips for him was controversial at the time, but I know a similar scene in Lucio Fulci's "Don't Torture a Duckling" where Barbara Bouchet displays herself to a young boy certainly was.

The ending is surreal, bizarre, and really doesn't make a lick of sense, but it's vastly preferable to the very predictable ending of the "The Good Son" or the ridiculous deus ex machina ending of the original "The Bad Seed". This film may not be as creepy and well-acted as the "The Bad Seed", but it's not as stagey and it was filmed in one of the most beautiful places in the world, the north of Spain. However, if you want good acting, a truly creepy storyline, AND beautiful cinematography, the best of these bad seed/child psycho movies is "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea" with Kris Kristoferson.

tense and quirky thriller

[hermann_01 · 10/10 · 6 September 2006]

This is one of Britt Eckland's earlier films and was largely ignored on release in the UK, as it was support film for 'Don't Look Back', with Donald Sutherland.

The plot is convoluted and somewhat difficult to follow.

Ther is in the uncut version a considerable amount of nudity, and at the time a certain controversy was a stirred up. Britt Eckland is often naked when the 12 yr old boy is present,on shot, and in one scene, the boy sits in a chair and makes her perform a full strip in front of him, her genital region only obscured by the boy's head. For nude rear scenes, a body-double was used for Britt Eckland's character, as was often the case with Eckland.

Britt Ekland is outstanding

[christopher-underwood · 8/10 · 23 February 2010]

For a multi national production with two directors it is amazing that this turned out so well. I just wish between everybody they could have thought up at least one good title. Never mind, it is well worth seeing anyway. Britt Ekland is outstanding in a demanding role, as to is the ex-Oliver male lead, Mark Lester. I feel Hardy Kruger lets the side down rather but as the inadvertent go-between for his son and his new wife, the role was never going to be easy. For all the difficulties not to mention lots of nudity and sex scenes involving Ekland and the boy, this is a well told tale with quite a punch. The wide spread assumption that children are innocent little things and step mothers evil, always makes for a potent storytelling and this super sleazy number is no exception.

Mark Lester is the greatest child actor ever!

[chad478 · 11 March 2001]

I first saw OLIVER! six years ago, and I knew that the angelic-looking young actor playing the title role had to be the greatest child actor ever, and I was absolutely right. I have never seen a more bright and talented young actor. Lester is truly amazing. Right after I saw the film, I started seeking out other Mark Lester titles. The first and best I came across is the 1971 chiller, NIGHT CHILD, in which Mark gives what may very well be the greatest performance ever given by a child actor. Lester plays Marcus, a disturbed young boy who may have murdered his mother, and he may have similar plans for his father's new wife. I won't say anything more about the plot, but I will say that Mark Lester's performance is magnificent. He proves that he is the most skilled and versatile actor ever. It's unfortunate that this film isn't more well-known, but Lester's strong performance makes it something really special. It isn't likely that you"ll find the film in your local video store, but if you ever get the opportunity to see it, don't miss out!

Excellent horror-thriller, with a strong third act

[I_Ailurophile · 8/10 · 6 October 2022]

The genre of "creepy children" is perhaps overfull, and some entries are certainly better than others. Here we have what is mostly a more straightforward horror-thriller, bereft of any supernatural elements. If anything, there are slight airs here of a psychological thriller as Elise becomes more troubled by her discoveries, and those around her feed into her spiral. It's also noteworthy that 'What the peeper saw' is unexpectedly visual in its narrative: there is dialogue, but some scenes happily go without, while others have no need; with slight retooling the picture could easily be shucked of most if not all of its script. This is especially true and noteworthy since some of the dialogue is less than impressive, and the delivery thereof, while the cast otherwise give strong performances. Add in an excellent score from Stelvio Cipriani, lending tension as it varies between cheekily lighter themes and more somber ones, with distorted electric guitar and even some discordant chords in the most intense moments. I'm not saying that this film is perfect, but there's certainly much to like about it, and it's quite enjoyable overall.

To the great credit of screenwriter Trevor Preston and director James Kelly, what's really remarkable about 'What the peeper saw' is how effectively it cloaks the nature of its narrative in definite mystery. Is Marcus truly such an abhorrent child, so expertly manipulative that no one can believe Elise? Is Marcus gaslighting Elise, and Paul enabling, encouraging, or covering for him? (As these notions are predominant, there would seem to be major themes of male violence against women.) Or is Elise more deeply troubled than the title lets on, the third-person equivalent of an unreliable narrator as we would seem to see the course of events from her perspective? What, exactly, is real here? That's the chief question, perhaps, and there's much of the story as it presents to us, especially within the last third, which is up in the air in that regard. I don't know that the film is entirely successful with the tack it adopts; it tries so hard to confuse the plot that it might slightly lose it in the process. But I admire the effort of the ambiguity - and the near-total shunting of it in the very last moments. It rather feels like the picture wrote itself into a place where it could have been almost anything at all (think of 'Clue,' released into theaters with one of three endings), right up until a singular choice was made.

The screenplay could stand to have been tightened some, and the movie's storytelling would have only benefited. Still, in every other regard this is quite well made, including excellent filming locations, production design, and costume design. I can safely say that this wasn't what I anticipated when I first sat to watch it, as I assumed a more ordinary horror-thriller. I think the feature we get is even more enticing, though - more satisfying and rewarding - even if it doesn't fully stick the landing. For its imperfections I can understand how this won't sit equally well with all viewers; I suppose it could be said that the endeavor to confuse the story is arguably too successful. I very much liked it, however, and as far as I'm concerned 'What the peeper saw' earns a solid recommendation.

Definitely one of the most uncomfortable films!

[thenodradioshow · 8/10 · 23 September 2019]

Well worth the watch! Definitely some parts are extremely uncomfortable to watch (adult woman having relations with a 12 yr old boy) but an absolute excellent story. A 12 yr old psychopath, a beautiful stepmother and a clueless father. I wont go any further then that. A must see for any fan of 70s European horror films.

8/10

[cosmin742000 · 8/10 · 26 December 2021]

A good giallo movie with tension , suspance , beautiful woman , nudity, unespected final, good story, good acting, like were made those time and now never succed.

Childhood Trauma...

[azathothpwiggins · 30 August 2021]

WHAT THE PEEPER SAW opens with the death of a woman in a bathtub. Next, we're introduced to Elise (Britt Ekland) and her stepson Marcus (Mark Lester), who is the son of the woman from the opening. When Markus' father re-enters the picture, Markus displays some strange behavior, and bizarre things start happening.

As time goes on, Elise begins to suspect that Marcus might not be as innocent as he seems.

PEEPER is a classic 1970's psychological thriller. Lester plays his disturbed / disturbing role perfectly. Some of the more suggestive scenes between he and Ms. Ekland are certainly outrageous by today's standards. You'll keep saying to yourself, "Nope, they'd never get away with that, now!".

For those interested, yes, Ms. Ekland has several opportunities to show off her birthday suit...