ThiefHott Too much of everything

Steinesongo Too many fans seem to be blown away

LastingAware The greatest movie ever!

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Mr_Ectoplasma Mentally fragile Peggy (Judy Geeson) is attacked by a one-armed man the night before she is to move with her new husband Robert (Ralph Bates) to the remote boys' boarding school where he now works. At the mysteriously empty school, Peggy meets the headmaster Michael (Peter Cushing) and is ill-received by his uncongenial wife (Joan Collins). It is not long before Peggy finds herself again pursued by her attacker, who seems to have followed her there.Probably the most little-seen Hammer film of its era, "Fear in the Night" is, dare I say, quite underrated. Perhaps this is because it's one of the company's later and more obscure pictures, but regardless, this is a solid and surprisingly eerie film that has all the trappings and twists of a modernist suspense film, supplemented with an English Gothic atmosphere and shades of giallo.Director, producer, and co-writer (as well as Hammer head honcho) Jimmy Sangster handles the material here with an understated flair and does a fantastic job at establishing the film's ominous mood; atmosphere is what this film does best, and atmosphere, to me, is one of the most important components of any effective horror film. The photography of the autumnal boarding school campus and the chalet-style buildings weaves a languid and chilly disposition, and there are some truly nightmarish sequences with Geeson running through the empty halls of the school in the middle of the night. The mentally-unstable woman motif is used to its full extent here, and while it's not exactly original, it is well done in this case. Unusual editing choices really put the viewer in the midst of Peggy's struggle and work to disorient our perception of what is happening around the old boarding school; in many ways, the film reminded of a more restrained version of Robert Altman's "Images," which was released the same year. Both films boast similar plots, jarring and manipulative editing choices, unnerving scores, and both feature a blonde, mentally fragile woman tormented in the ghostly English countryside.Judy Geeson is fantastic as the doe-eyed and innocent Peggy, while Ralph Bates plays her new beau with an appropriate mysteriousness. Peter Cushing takes the cake here as the towering and bizarre headmaster, with Joan Collins effectively playing his icy and cunning wife— oddly enough, Collins and Cushing have no scenes together, but this works to form an almost necessary disconnect between the characters. The film's twist finale, as tense as it may be, is still somewhat predictable but so stylishly handled that I can't knock it a bit. There is phenomenal use of intercom omniscience at the end, and the final scene is sickly satisfying.Overall, "Fear in the Night" is a stellar, understated thriller that boasts a great cast, solid plot twists, and truly unnerving sequences set against the backdrop of a rundown boarding school hidden away in the depths of English back country. The setting is phenomenal and Sangster makes full use of it, recalling "Diabolique" and later giallo thrillers which, in 1972, were in vogue. Some have said the film is too slow, but I found it rather infectious in its exposition; the further you are into it, the stranger things become. Definitely one of my favorite British horrors of this era. Recommended viewing in a similar vein is the Agatha Christie adaptation "Endless Night," also made the same year. 9/10.

Rainey Dawn A great story and cast! A suspenseful horror-thriller! Worth watching if you like the classics! The casting in this movie is wonderful - everyone was great in this movie. Judy Geeson plays Peggy Heller so wonderfully... I felt so sorry for her. Ralph Bates plays Robert Heller a man who seemly is in-love with his young wife Peggy. Joan Collins plays Molly Carmichael - snooty rich woman. Peter Cushing is The Headmaster Michael Carmichael - a strange gentleman.The movie does build an amount of suspense and it does have it's thrilling moments. It makes a wonderful late-at-night film. Not overly scary but definitely suspenseful and thrilling! 8.5/10

fidelio74 No matter how bad the film, the august presence of the wonderful horror character actor Peter Cushing always lifts the proceedings considerably. Which is not to say that 'Fear in the Night' is a bad film, because it is quite well-constructed and enjoyable.Recovering from a traumatic experience, the fragile Peggy Heller (Judy Geeson) moves with her new husband Robert (Ralph Bates) to a boys' school, the headmaster of which is Michael Carmichael (Peter Cushing). Peggy makes the acquaintance of Michael's wife, Molly (Joan Collins), and soon begins to believe that she - Peggy - is being stalked by a one-armed man.I really liked the twist in this film and did not see it coming, which of course made it all the more enjoyable. 'Fear in the Night' is well-made and the performances are naturalistic and convincing. Judy Geeson is a sympathetic heroine and you do feel for her plight. From the ever-reliable British horror film studio Hammer, this is a film worth watching at least once.

Paul Andrews Fear in the Night starts as Peggy Heller (Judy Geeson) is set to leave London & join her new husband Robert (Ralph Bates) in the country at a boarding school where he works, however the night before she is due to leave Peggy is attacked in her bathroom by someone with a false arm. No-one believes her though & she decides to just forget about it, once at the boarding school which is empty due to the end of term Peggy meets the strange headmaster Michael Carmichael (Peter Cushing) who has a false arm & his overbearing wife Molly (Joan Collins). Soon after arriving Peggy is attacked again by the mysterious person with a false arm, Peggy puts two & two together & suspects Michael. Is she right? If so what does Michael intend to do? Why attack her & what does he want...This English production was co-written, produced & directed by Hammer studios regular Jimmy Sangster after he made the disastrous The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) & Lust for a Vampire (1971), realising that their popular classic monsters like Dracula & Frankenstein weren't doing the business at the box office anymore Hammer studios made film just like Fear in the Night to try & branch out & expand with mixed results. I mean if you hear the name Hammer studios you instantly think Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Frankenstein & Dracula not Judy Geeson & Fear in the Night. The script by Sangster & Michael Syson is a psycho thriller with plenty of twists rather than a straight horror, I would say it's worth a watch & the story is good but it's not perfect & has zero replay value as once you know the twists (if you buy the DVD don't watch the trailer before you watch the feature proper as it gives the whole plot away) it loses any surprise or impact that it had. The character's are alright although I have to say some of them are rather gullible & do things which are hard to believe, I mean how could two people marry & one of them not ever see where the other lived? For the plan to work Peggy needed to be fooled but what if those not involved with the plan told her the truth, be it by accident or not? The last thirty minutes has plenty of twists & turns that come thick & fast some of which are highly improbable & a little difficult to swallow, I think maybe that there's one contrived twist too many. Still a good mystery thriller to watch as a one off though & I did like it overall.Director Sangster does alright but instead of the trademark Hammer horror Victorian period setting Fear in the Night takes place during contemporary Britain, there's a nice early 70's dated but fun look to it & the big school is a period building so in that regard maybe it's not quite as far from the Victorian set classics as I first thought. There's absolutely no gore or violence (although a rabbit is shot by Joan Collins) or nudity so don't expect any, any & all shock value in Fear in the Night comes from the twists & turns in the story. The opening sequence is very good, probably the best in the whole film actually where angelic children are singing on the soundtrack as the camera pans across a picturesque English field & stops on a pair of swinging feet belonging to someone who is hanging from a tree!Technically the film is good with nice locations, good cinematography & decent production values. The acting is pretty good as well, despite near top billing Peter Cushing only gets about five minutes of screen time with Joan Collins faring little better & she doesn't even appear in the film until past the forty minute mark. Collins made this when her career was at an all time low & after she found success again in Dynasty (1981 - 1989) Fear in the Night was re-released on video to capitalize under the title Dynasty of Fear! Strange but apparently true. Geeson is sort of cute while Bates has a horrible 70's haircut.Fear in the Night is an entertaining thriller with a fair amount of twists which aren't overly new or original (even back in 1972) but work well enough. A little silly & not really scary or anything it's just about clever enough & the last third has plenty of twists to keep you interested.