Nightmare (1964)
Written By: Grave Reviews Staff
Film Information
Director: Freddie Francis
Producer: Jimmy Sangster
Screenwriter: Jimmy Sangster
Date Released: May 31, 1964
Cast:
David Knight as Henry Baxter
Moira Redmond as Grace Maddox
Jennie Linden as Janet
Brenda Bruce as Mary Lewis
George A. Cooper as John
Clytie Jessop as Woman in White
Irene Richmond as Mrs. Gibbs
John Welsh as Doctor
Timothy Bateson as Barman
Rating = 3.5/5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
When Janet was young, Janet witnessed her mother kill her father on her birthday. Years later, Janet experiences severe nightmares and slowly loses her sense between dreams and reality. As a result, Janet was assigned a guardian by a man named Henry Baxter. However, not everything is as it seems as someone may be behind her “nightmares.” When Janet is set up with the murder of her Henry’s wife, the tables turn on the two people that set her up.
Gore Factor
There is no gore or blood in the film, Nightmare (1964). There is, however, the occasional stabbing scene. However, the blood is extremely mild. For a black and white film and one that was produced in the 1960s, the lack of blood and gore should be expected.
The Grave Review
From the Hammer Production Company, Nightmare (1964) is one of those black and white films that focuses more on storyline given the low budgets that these films generally had. However, there is something refreshing about a horror film that is more reliant on telling a good story rather than showing excessive amounts of gore or cheesy scares. In this way, Nightmare (1964) excelled at executing the plot and creating twists within the story.
During the 1960s, overacting was a common style of performance. Nightmare (1964) was no exception to this rule. As the viewer, one should appreciate the effort to create a well-rounded story. With that said, the acting style kept in line with the overall tone of the film. However, one critique was that the pace of the film was a little slow at times. Nevertheless, taking all factors into consideration, Nightmare (1964) was a clever watch.
For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives Nightmare (1964) three and one-half graves out of five graves.
Do you like our review? Comment below.
Join the Conversation