Worst. Adoption. Ever. This '70s TV horror will make you check under your floorboards.
A childless middle-age couple adopt a troubled youth they find living in their crawlspace and attempt to get him to rejoin society with tragic results.
Acting
Arthur Kennedy's desperate, crumbling paternal delusion.
Direction
Kulik's claustrophobic framing traps you in that crawlspace.
Writing
Herbert Lieberman's novel adaptation: banal evil, no jump scares needed.
Director
Buzz Kulik
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in just 12 days for ABC's Movie of the Week. The crawlspace set was built on a soundstage with forced perspective to feel even smaller.
1972's 'Troubled Youth' cycle: this aired months after 'The Other' and taps into post-Manson fear of charming monsters in domestic spaces. Richard's manipulation mirrors real cult recruitment tactics.
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