Scheming lovers plot psychological torment to inherit a fortune in this British horror of cold ambition.
WHAT BECAME OF JACK AND JILL?
To Grandmother's House They Go-- For Love In The Attic, And Death Down Below.
Two young people plot to get their hands on grannie's money, but rather than simply pushing her down the stairs they hatch an elaborate plot to convince her that radical youth have taken over England are planning to do away with "oldies" like her.
Quick Answer
What Became of Jack and Jill? is a 1972 United Kingdom horror, mystery, and thriller film directed by Bill Bain about a young couple who psychologically torment an elderly grandmother in hopes of inheriting her fortune.
Programmer's Pick
Forget staircases—this duo prefers psychological warfare and ageist graffiti to get what they want. Bill Bain’s film turns the inheritance thriller into a slow-burn of cruelty, with Vanessa Howard and Paul Nicholas serving up icy performances that make you wish for a less conniving youth movement.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Why This Matters
Intended as Amicus Pictures' move into exploitation cinema to rival Hammer Studios, the film's disturbing content led the studio to disown it, resulting in its sale to 20th Century Fox instead.
Cast & Crew
View all →Why Cult
The central scheme leans on mind games and psychological torment, rather than physical violence, for its chills.
The plot exploits generational fears, with the young schemers convincing their victim of a fictitious youth uprising against the old.
Set in England and dripping with early 1970s style, the film delivers its bleak tale with distinctly British flavor.
Johnnie and Jill offer a study in calculated cruelty, embodying the era’s fascination with amoral protagonists.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Johnnie and Jill's inheritance scheme
Psychological torment of Alice
Alice's deteriorating health and paranoia
Alice's home in England
Questions from the Vault
When was What Became of Jack and Jill? released? +
What Became of Jack and Jill? was released in 1972.
Who directed What Became of Jack and Jill?? +
What Became of Jack and Jill? was directed by Bill Bain.
How long is What Became of Jack and Jill?? +
The runtime of What Became of Jack and Jill? is 93 minutes.
What genre is What Became of Jack and Jill?? +
What Became of Jack and Jill? is a horror, mystery, and thriller film.
How do Johnnie and Jill gaslight Alice to achieve their goal? +
Johnnie and Jill manipulate Alice by restricting her access to news, staging fake evidence of a youth revolution, and using graffiti and staged events to convince her that young people are targeting the elderly.