Full Circle

Full Circle, released in the United States as The Haunting of Julia, is a 1977 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Loncraine, and starring Mia Farrow and Keir Dullea. Based on the novel Julia by the American writer Peter Straub, it is the first film realization of one of his books, and follows a woman who, after the death of her daughter, finds herself haunted by the vengeful ghost of a young girl in her new home. A co-production between Canada and the United Kingdom, the film was shot in London, and first released under the title Full Circle, opening at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 1977. It was subsequently released theatrically in England and Canada in May 1978. The film went unreleased in the United States until May 1981, when it was given theatrical distribution through Cinema International Corporation. The film received mixed reviews from critics at the time of its release, with some praising its atmosphere and performances, while others deemed it either predictable or too plodding. Plot Julia Lofting, an American housewife living in London, inadvertently kills her daughter, Kate, while performing a botched tracheotomy after Kate begins choking during breakfast one morning. Kate's death traumatizes Julia, and she soon separates from her husband, Magnus, and rents a large, fully-furnished house in Holland Park. In the house, Julia finds a second-floor room containing a child's possessions. Shortly after moving in, Julia begins to suspect Magnus is breaking into the house. In the park, she sees a young girl that she believes is Kate, but the child disappears. Unusual things take place in the house such as strange noises and appliances turning on by themselves. Later, Julia again sees the girl in the park and finds a mutilated turtle and knife where she stood.