Paranoiac (1962)
Directed by Freddie Francis
Genres - Horror, Family & Personal Relationships, Thriller |
Sub-Genres - Psychological Drama |
Release Date - May 15, 1963 (USA - Unknown), May 15, 1963 (USA) |
Run Time - 90 min. |
Countries - United Kingdom |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Mark Deming
A woman must contend with her family's madness as she finds her own sanity in doubt in this thriller from British horror masters Hammer Films. After the death of her parents, Eleanor Ashby (Janette Scott) would seem a safe bet to inherit their estate, but at the funeral, she's convinced that she has seen Tony (Alexander Davion), her brother who killed himself seven years ago. Eleanor's other sibling Simon (Oliver Reed), who is inarguably alive, uses this as an excuse to contest the will, arguing that Eleanor is mentally unstable and an unfit heir. Simon's claims cause Eleanor to wonder about her sanity, and in a moment of weakness she attempts suicide. Tony rescues her and tells her that he never died but simply went into hiding. He returns to the family's mansion, but soon he and Eleanor become the subject of a number of violent attacks by a masked lunatic before Eleanor learns a surprising secret about Tony. Paranoiac marked the directorial debut of ace cinematographer Freddie Francis.
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Keywords
attack, aunt, Britain, brother, castle, craziness, death, English [nationality], estate, family, impersonation, inheritance, insanity, killing, knock-out, lookalike, mansion, missing, parent, rescue, sanity, scheme, suicide, ugly, victim
