The plot-line of Fright is very similar to the idea used by John Carpenter for his box-office smash Halloween (1978) several years later. After all its story can be boiled down to one sentence - a baby-sitter is terrorised by a psychopath who has escaped from an asylum. Consequently, Fright could be considered alongside the likes of Black Christmas (1974) as a proto-slasher of sorts. It's definitely quite a nasty movie for its era. It starts out as a psychological thriller and turns into a house invasion movie. And like most from the latter sub-genre it gets somewhat disturbing and exploitative in the process. Unfortunately, this transition also marks the point in which the film loses a bit of quality. The first half in which an unknown ominous person is stalking around outside the house is very strong and actually tense and scary. But once the action moves to within the house things do go a bit flat. The unknown quality that elevated the earlier scares is replaced with less interesting shock material. It also bothered me a bit that the babysitter acted a little too stupidly to be entirely believable. Her boyfriend staggers into the house bloodied and half-dead and a mysterious man follows a few seconds later and she never considers that he may be the lunatic responsible! And then later on the film finishes with an abrupt ending that doesn't entirely work unfortunately.
But, criticisms aside, this is still a pretty fine psychological thriller. Its director Peter Collinson would go on to direct another film from that genre the following year, namely Straight on Till Morning. He made that one for the famous British studio Hammer and it was one of the most pleasingly atypical offerings they ever turned out. Both films certainly show Collinson had a handle on generating suspense. Fright benefits additionally from a very good cast. Susan George is ridiculously cute and puts in an impressive performance. Like her work in the same year's Straw Dogs, this is another tough role where she has to go through some pretty nasty scenes. Ian Bannen plays her maniac tormentor and Honor Blackman of The Avengers fame is his ex-wife. We also have Dennis Waterman and George Cole star together for the first time; they would of course go on to be a TV double act in the 80's series Minder.
The film is quite notable too for featuring enacted terror scenes involving a child which would simply never be allowed to be filmed now. Amongst others, at one point Bannen holds him aggressively with a shard of glass against his neck. Okay, it was a prop and not actually glass but nevertheless I'm pretty sure that sort of scene would not be permitted to be filmed nowadays. So like many older genre pictures, this one is a window into another time where different rules applied. I would ultimately recommend this film with some reservations. It has a few problem areas but it more than makes up for those with some genuine chills, the delectable Susan George and a pleasing early 70's vibe.
But, criticisms aside, this is still a pretty fine psychological thriller. Its director Peter Collinson would go on to direct another film from that genre the following year, namely Straight on Till Morning. He made that one for the famous British studio Hammer and it was one of the most pleasingly atypical offerings they ever turned out. Both films certainly show Collinson had a handle on generating suspense. Fright benefits additionally from a very good cast. Susan George is ridiculously cute and puts in an impressive performance. Like her work in the same year's Straw Dogs, this is another tough role where she has to go through some pretty nasty scenes. Ian Bannen plays her maniac tormentor and Honor Blackman of The Avengers fame is his ex-wife. We also have Dennis Waterman and George Cole star together for the first time; they would of course go on to be a TV double act in the 80's series Minder.
The film is quite notable too for featuring enacted terror scenes involving a child which would simply never be allowed to be filmed now. Amongst others, at one point Bannen holds him aggressively with a shard of glass against his neck. Okay, it was a prop and not actually glass but nevertheless I'm pretty sure that sort of scene would not be permitted to be filmed nowadays. So like many older genre pictures, this one is a window into another time where different rules applied. I would ultimately recommend this film with some reservations. It has a few problem areas but it more than makes up for those with some genuine chills, the delectable Susan George and a pleasing early 70's vibe.