Within minutes of his return home from military school, we can tell that Robert (Mark Gruner) is no ordinary boy. Upon his arrival home with his mum (Diane Baker) and her new husband (Ed Nelson), we really get to know Robert. He's home for Christmas with his classmate, Stu (Christopher Shea), whom he treats as a subordinate.
Mum, blinded by her love for her son, can't see what the stepfather sees, that there's just something not quite right with Robert. Something strange. Possibly dangerous. Of course, we can see it too. Robert never puts on airs. He's insufferably mean, nasty, and obviously unbalanced. Bluntly said, this is one creepy, vicious kid!
From what Robert says and writes in his diary, we know that bad things have happened in the past, and will most likely happen again. Soon.
A LITTLE GAME is a magnificent made-for-TV, "killer kid" movie from the golden age of the tele-horror film. Gruner plays Robert up to be an unrepentant, malevolent force. In the annals of such movies, he's in the upper level. Nelson portrays one of the best characters of his career, and Howard Duff is the perfect private detective. Special mention for Ms. Baker, whose character must pretend -even to herself- to be oblivious to what she fears most.
When the title is explained, it all gets even more terrifying...