Paranoiac

Simon, the son of a wealthy family, is waiting for his inheritance and drinking while he waits. His sister Eleanor is close to losing her mind; she says she has seen the brother who is supposed to have killed himself eleven years ago. Then a man arrives at the door claiming to be that brother. Freddie Francis directed for Hammer. Oliver Reed plays Simon, Janette Scott plays Eleanor. Jimmy Sangster wrote the screenplay, drawing on a novel by Josephine Tey. The film belongs to Hammer's non-horror vein: no vampires or monsters, but inheritance, madness and a game of identity. The structure is squarely part of the post-Psycho wave: black and white, jarring editing, and a truth revealed at the last minute. Oliver Reed's performance is the strongest element; the character is constantly drunk, threatening and unpredictable. The church and chapel scenes are at the centre of the tension. Who it is for: viewers curious about the British thriller tradition and lesser-known Hammer films. Who it is not for: anyone expecting classic horror; this is entirely psychological.