Twisted Nerve

Twisted Nerve

Year: 1968

Runtime: 112 mins

Language: English

Director: Roy Boulting

HorrorThrillerDrama

Martin Durnley, raised by an infantilizing mother, a resentful stepfather and an institutionalized brother with Down’s syndrome, escapes his oppressive home by adopting an imaginary child persona, Georgie. After being caught stealing in a department store, he befriends a sympathetic customer, but the relationship turns into a disturbing obsession.

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Timeline & Setting – Twisted Nerve (1968)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Twisted Nerve (1968). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

London, England, countryside locations (country lake), Susan's mother's house

The story unfolds primarily in London and its outskirts. Key locations include a toy shop, a library, a country lake for a pivotal swim scene, and the various homes of the characters. The Durnley family home and Susan's family residence become focal points for confrontation and revelation as the plot moves toward its violent climax.

🏙️ London 🏞️ Countryside 🏠 Domestic settings

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:20

Main Characters – Twisted Nerve (1968)

Meet the key characters of Twisted Nerve (1968), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Martin Durnley (Georgie)

A seemingly mild boy who hides a dangerous core. He adopts the Georgie persona to charm those around him while his true self harbors obsession and a readiness to resort to violence when confronted.

🧠 Complex 🎭 Deceptive 🔪 Violent

Susan Harper

A library worker who becomes entangled with Martin and tries to uncover the truth behind his odd behavior. She demonstrates resilience and determination as she pieces together the clues of Martin's life and confronts the danger he poses.

🧭 Curious 🔎 Investigative 💔 Victimized

Henry Durnley

Martin's stepfather, a distant authority figure who pressures Martin to travel to Australia. His presence heightens the family tension that fuels Martin's volatility and he ultimately falls victim to Martin's actions.

🗡️ Violent 👨‍👦 Family conflict

Enid Durnley

Martin's mother, who has remarried to a wealthy banker. Her new life creates distance within the family, contributing to Martin's sense of abandonment and his later instability.

💔 Family Strain 🧠 Complex Relationship

Joan Harper

Susan's mother, who rents rooms to guests. She becomes a target as the plot unfolds and her fate underscores the dangers lurking in ordinary domestic life.

💔 Domestic 🕳️ Tragedy

Shashee Kadir

A hospital worker who befriends Susan and helps uncover Martin's true nature. He provides crucial insight as the truth about the split identity emerges and races to avert further harm.

🧭 Empathetic 🧪 Knowledgeable 🕊️ Ally

Gerry Henderson

One of the paying guests who becomes involved in the police investigation and helps connect the clues surrounding Martin's activities.

👥 Witness 🕵️‍♂️ Investigative

Pete Durnley

Martin's older brother, who has learning difficulties and is sent to a special boarding school. He contrasts with Martin and remains a distant family figure.

🧸 Family 🧠 Learning difficulties

Clarkie

Store Detective who questions the suspicious toy incident, representing the first external challenge to Martin's Georgie persona.

🕵️‍♀️ Authority 🧭 Observant

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:20

Major Themes – Twisted Nerve (1968)

Explore the central themes of Twisted Nerve (1968), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌀 Dual Identity

Martin conceals his true self behind a calm, capable exterior, adopting the Georgie persona to manipulate others. The tension between his public mask and hidden impulses drives the narrative and fuels the sense of danger surrounding his actions.

🩸 Violence & Murder

The story escalates to brutal acts as Martin's hidden violence erupts, culminating in the murder of his stepfather and an attack on Susan's mother. These crimes stem from a fractured psyche and the peril of a carefully maintained facade.

🕯️ Psychological Thriller

The film probes manipulation, perception, and the fragility of identity. As Susan seeks the truth, the plot examines how secrecy and control can warp relationships and put innocent people at risk.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:20

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Psychological thrillers with unreliable protagonists like Twisted Nerve

Stories where the main character's fractured psyche drives the dark narrative.If you liked the unsettling perspective of Martin in Twisted Nerve, explore more movies like it. This collection features similar psychological thrillers where the main character's mental state is the central mystery, creating stories of deception, obsession, and a blurred line between reality and delusion.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern typically involves a central character whose internal world is fragmented. The story unfolds from their skewed perspective, creating a sense of unease as their delusions or deceptions gradually collide with reality. The climax often reveals the full extent of their psychological break, resulting in violence, tragedy, or a complete loss of self.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on a psychologically compromised protagonist. They create a unique, often claustrophobic, viewing experience defined by character-driven tension, a dark tone, and a narrative that challenges the audience's trust in the point-of-view character.

Thrillers with an oppressive atmosphere like Twisted Nerve

Films that build a suffocating sense of unease through mood and setting.For viewers who appreciated the claustrophobic and anxious mood of Twisted Nerve, this list features similar movies with a heavy atmosphere. Discover more thrillers and horror films that master the art of slow-burn dread, where the setting and tone create a constant state of unease long before the explicit violence begins.

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Narrative Summary

These stories prioritize mood over plot speed, often beginning with a baseline of normality that is gradually eroded. The pacing is steady, allowing tension to accumulate like pressure in a sealed container. The narrative journey is one of escalating anxiety, where the environment—be it a family home or a social setting—becomes a trap, leading to an explosive and often bleak release.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared emphasis on creating a pervasive, uncomfortable mood. The similarity lies in the experiential quality of watching them: a feeling of being trapped in a steadily worsening situation, underscored by a dark tone and high psychological intensity.

Unlock the Full Story of Twisted Nerve

Don't stop at just watching — explore Twisted Nerve in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Twisted Nerve is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Twisted Nerve Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Twisted Nerve, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Twisted Nerve Summary

Twisted Nerve Timeline

Track the full timeline of Twisted Nerve with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Twisted Nerve Timeline

Twisted Nerve Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Twisted Nerve that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Twisted Nerve Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Twisted Nerve

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Twisted Nerve: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Twisted Nerve

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