Review of Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) by Brett B — 07 Nov 2012

An incredibly effective slow-burn mystery from Otto Preminger that culminates in an ending that is surprising and unsettling in a way that legitimately blind-sided me. Lynley does some excellent work in a role that could easily have been played over-the-top, and Olivier provides a strong center to identify with, but it's the well-executed screenplay that is really the star; it instills a strong sense of unease - a "something is very, very wrong" sort of flavor - that wonderfully foreshadows where the story is going without giving the whole game away.

As evidenced by other reviews of this film, it clearly won't work for everybody, and those looking for a realistic drama should be advised that this isn't exactly that.