Paranoiac

Getting away from the Universal pantheon of monsters, Hammer unleashes this psychological thriller in the Psycho vein.

Great stuff, with some fine performances, especially Janette Scott, so wasted in the previous year's Day of the Triffids. Oliver Reed is equally fine, though he's not really acting, just being Oliver Reed (especially in the pub scene)! The real stars are Arthur Grant's gorgeous cinematography and Bernard Robinson's finely wrought production design. Actually a bit better than Psycho in some ways, not being saddled with tedious psychobabble explanations. Plus the British have a better hold on the Gothic tradition, which this film firmly lies in.

One caveat: everyone who sees the 30-something Davion is at least amenable to the idea he IS Tony, and remarks he looks just like Tony, but the cenotaph in the opening scene says Tony died at age 15! Do ghosts age?