A very interesting and well-made film. I haven’t seen really any of the Lewton films, but upon watching this, I want to see more of them.
The parallels to Covid present in this film from 1945 caught me off guard, but it was very interesting to see how similar the characters in the film treat the plague to how people in the modern era treated/still treat Covid. The science vs. superstition debates, the rigorous hand washing and safety protocols, and the McCarthy-esque accusations against others reflect many events that have happened in the past few years quite well.
Boris Karloff is great as always, but this might be one of the more interesting roles I’ve seen him in. That being said, the other actors in the film are a bit lacking. This could be attributed to the script, but most of the dialogue seems quite forced, spare Karloff, Cramer, and Thimig. Along with this, the narrative isn’t the strongest either, but I still enjoyed it.
One of my favorite aspects of old horror is the set design and this film is no different. Even within the first 10 minutes, the set design is impeccable. The ancient ruins that they travel through on the mountainside is a great piece of set design and the house they end up in is just as good. The lighting plays a large role in the greatness of the set design as well, as the constant dim lighting and usage of shadows makes for some great tension and provides an unsettling atmosphere in nearly all scenes.
The last 10-15 minutes of the film must be spoken of as well. For 1945, the finale of the film was phenomenal. Truly unsettling for the time and still a bit unsettling today.
This film was actually quite good. I’ve heard a lot of talk about how good the Lewton films are and I can see why now. Overall, an excellent film that I really enjoyed.
A very interesting and well-made film. I haven’t seen really any of the Lewton films, but upon watching this, I want to see more of them.
The parallels to Covid present in this film from 1945 caught me off guard, but it was very interesting to see how similar the characters in the film treat the plague to how people in the modern era treated/still treat Covid. The science vs. superstition debates, the rigorous hand washing and safety protocols, and the McCarthy-esque accusations against others reflect many events that have happened in the past few years quite well.
Boris Karloff is great as always, but this might be one of the more interesting roles I’ve seen him in. That being said, the other actors in the film are a bit lacking. This could be attributed to the script, but most of the dialogue seems quite forced, spare Karloff, Cramer, and Thimig. Along with this, the narrative isn’t the strongest either, but I still enjoyed it.
One of my favorite aspects of old horror is the set design and this film is no different. Even within the first 10 minutes, the set design is impeccable. The ancient ruins that they travel through on the mountainside is a great piece of set design and the house they end up in is just as good. The lighting plays a large role in the greatness of the set design as well, as the constant dim lighting and usage of shadows makes for some great tension and provides an unsettling atmosphere in nearly all scenes.
The last 10-15 minutes of the film must be spoken of as well. For 1945, the finale of the film was phenomenal. Truly unsettling for the time and still a bit unsettling today.
This film was actually quite good. I’ve heard a lot of talk about how good the Lewton films are and I can see why now. Overall, an excellent film that I really enjoyed.
