Paranoiac [Collector's Edition] [Blu-ray]

Overview

In this tense and plot-twisty thriller where nothing is quite as it seems, a young woman questions her sanity after repeatedly seeing a man who looks exactly like her dead brother. Believing that he committed suicide years ago (though his body was never found), and fearful that she is imagining things, the woman becomes increasingly distraught. Her nervous state provides the perfect opportunity for her other brother to claim that she is too crazy to inherit the family wealth. The poor woman really goes over the edge then and attempts to kill herself. But she is saved by the very specter that causes her grief. He turns out to be very much alive and tells her that he is indeed her brother and only took off for a while. He immediately moves into the family's drafty old estate. Once there, he finds his life threatened by an unseen assassin. He and the girl begin investigating and discover the horrifying truth.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/08/2022
UPC:	0826663221947
Original Release:	1963
Rating:	NR
Source:	Shout Factory
Language:	English
Time:	1:20:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Janette Scott	Eleanor Ashby
Oliver Reed	Simon Ashby
Liliane Brousse	Françoise
Sheila Burrell	Aunt Harriet
Alexander Davion	Tony Ashby
Maurice Denham	John Kossett
John Bonney	Keith Kossett
John Stuart	Williams
Colin Tapley	Vicar
Harold Lang	RAF Type
Laurie Leigh	1st Woman
Marianne Stone	2nd Woman
Sydney Bromley	Tramp
Jack Taylor	Sailor
Elisabeth Lutyens	Composer

Technical Credits

Jimmy Sangster

Les Bowie	Special Effects
Freddie Francis	Director
Anthony Hinds	Producer
Kit West	Special Effects
Jimmy Sangster	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

This stylish thriller is a solid if not entirely satisfying entry in the wave of Psycho-inspired thrillers produced by England's Hammer Studios during the early- to mid-'60s. Interestingly, Paranoiac's plot line owes more to Gaslight than it does to Psycho. Jimmy Sangster's script is a bit lightweight on characterization but it makes up for this problem with a tightly constructed narrative that piles on twist after twist and keeps the viewer constantly guessing about each character's motives. The cast wisely plays the material straight, with the most impressive work coming from a young Oliver Reed; his melodramatic excesses may seem a little campy by modern standards but the visceral intensity of his work fits the film's tone perfectly. The film also benefits from inspired direction by Freddie Francis, who gives the film a unique visual style: Highlights of his work include a beautifully staged opening sequence that introduces all of the characters during a church service and the impressive and unexpected underwater shot that caps a suspense scene set near a pond. Unfortunately, Paranoiac loses steam during its third act and is capped with an abrupt ending that leaves too many loose ends untied. Despite these flaws, Paranoiac remains a worthwhile thriller with enough chills and atmosphere to please fans of old-fashioned horror.