Mysterious puzzle of who or what is behind a young girl, having just returned from a boarding school in the English countryside, becoming increasingly paranoid and psychotic. The girl witnessed her mother killing her father years ago and has nightmares of the event. She believes that she has the same mania and starts seeing her mother, other apparitions, and various things connected with the event that happened on her birthday so long ago. She is heir to the house, but her uncle manages her estate. A nurse is supplied for her and the home is run by an elderly couple of servants that have been with the family for a long time. What starts out as something you keep thinking you have seen before - swiftly and adroitly changes direction and becomes something I had never seen before. This is above all a well-crafted film made with creating suspense and maintaining suspense as its primary objectives. Director Freddie Francis, the Hammer stalwart, directs with his usual keen, meticulous detail for the lens. He paces the film very nicely, and he is aided by very good performances from all concerned. The real credit for the film's success though must go to veteran Hammer writer Jimmy Sangster. Above all this is a script-driven vehicle. Certainly one of the lesser known Hammer horror films but definitely one of the better psycho films I have seen.
49 Reviews
A diamond in Hammer's list of lesser known films
The_Void14 October 2005
I've been a fan of Hammer horror for a while, and have only recently discovered this whole new side of theirs. Hammer have become synonymous with fun horror films, but their serious little black and white flicks show that they're certainly not limited to doing just what we know they're good at! Like Freddie Francis' Paranoiac a year earlier, Freddie Francis' Nightmare works through it's thick macabre atmosphere, tight plotting and great acting performances. The film is also very paranoid, which helps you to get under the skin of the plot and into the heads of the characters. The film starts off following young Janet. Janet's mother stabbed her father to death on her birthday many years ago and has spent her life in an insane asylum ever since. Janet is now having horrible dreams of her mother, and fears that she may go the same way...but after being sent home, her problems really start. The plot for this film is odd because once we reach the half-way point, it makes a full turnaround and we begin following two of the smaller characters from the first part of the film.
The second half of the story is definitely more interesting than the first, so the switch is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. This film appears to have been an obvious influence on Pete Walker's exploitation flick 'Frightmare', as the two follow pretty much the same theme. Hammer's version of the story is far better, though. The ensemble cast here are excellent, with everyone giving a terrific performance. Jennie Linden is convincing as the young girl being terrified by her dreams and more than does justice to the role. The greatness of the plot can be summed up by the fact that I often find myself giving low ratings to Hammer's black and white films, simply because I love to see the colours that Hammer do so well. This film is so professionally handled, however, that the lack of colour doesn't harm the film at all - and actually helps it. The atmosphere would never be the same in colour, and the colours are made up for anyway by the wonderful use of lighting. On the whole, this isn't one of Hammer's most important films - but it is a very good one, and I highly recommend it! Just one thing to note...it's not recommended that you watch this film with a headache - there's a lot of screaming!
The second half of the story is definitely more interesting than the first, so the switch is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. This film appears to have been an obvious influence on Pete Walker's exploitation flick 'Frightmare', as the two follow pretty much the same theme. Hammer's version of the story is far better, though. The ensemble cast here are excellent, with everyone giving a terrific performance. Jennie Linden is convincing as the young girl being terrified by her dreams and more than does justice to the role. The greatness of the plot can be summed up by the fact that I often find myself giving low ratings to Hammer's black and white films, simply because I love to see the colours that Hammer do so well. This film is so professionally handled, however, that the lack of colour doesn't harm the film at all - and actually helps it. The atmosphere would never be the same in colour, and the colours are made up for anyway by the wonderful use of lighting. On the whole, this isn't one of Hammer's most important films - but it is a very good one, and I highly recommend it! Just one thing to note...it's not recommended that you watch this film with a headache - there's a lot of screaming!
Clever but grim screenplay; haunting images.
rockallnight5 May 2001
Jimmy Sangster's screenplay for "Nightmare" is an excellent contemporary (early 1960s) thriller with Gothic touches. However, the script falters about halfway through when the young heroine Janet, who has been driven almost out of her mind by a series of terrifying events, is removed from the action of the story.
Instead of centering the action of the second half on characters sympathetic to the heroine who might take up her cause, identify the conspirators and bring them to justice - as happens in, for example, "Psycho" - the script reveals to the audience who the conspirators are, and then, until the final scene, makes them the center of the action.
It is asking a lot of an audience to identify with those whose machinations have brought about the committal of a sympathetic heroine, and this may well explain why the second half of "Nightmare" is less gripping than the first - especially as the plot of the second half is a variation on what has gone before, this time with an unsympathetic character experiencing terrifying events. This part of the screenplay also stretches credibility, since it seems unlikely that an antagonist with an alert and cunning mind would not detect a plot which is dividing him from his female accomplice.
The real strength of "Nightmare", however, is in director Freddie Francis' visual flair. A former cameraman/director of photography, using black and white 'scope and obviously influenced by his work on Jack Clayton's "The Innocents", he succeeds in creating a real sense of fear and isolation around his vulnerable heroine.
He achieves this by using the expanse of the 'scope frame, often surrounding Janet with shadows or, in daylight, setting her in a frame devoid of anything or anybody reassuring. For example: when Janet travels home from school, the railway station is almost deserted; we do not see the departing train from which she has presumably just alighted. There are no other cars on the road as she is driven home. As they pass the asylum she dreads, there are no signs of human activity within the grounds. Once back home she is dwarfed by the mansion "High Towers" she has become heir to, and her isolation is compounded by her home being located in remote snow-covered countryside.
Janet's isolation is social as well as physical; ostracized at boarding school in the early scenes, and clinging to a grotesque doll and a small transistor radio, she is never seen with anyone her own age (mid-teens). Her only friend at the school is a sympathetic teacher. At "High Towers" the guardian she dotes on, Henry Baxter, is at least twice her age - as are her other household companions.
In addition to traditional Gothic trappings (heroines wandering dark corridors in flowing night-dresses, candlelight illumination, door handles seen turning slowly and ghostly nocturnal figures) Freddie Francis endows several everyday objects with fearful connotations - Janet's doll, her transistor radio that forever blares out fast jazz, and above all, a birthday cake with lighted candles. The latter becomes a powerful image of dread, since it was on Janet's eleventh birthday the horrific event occurred that started the cycle of nightmares and fear of inherited insanity.
"Nightmare" has a particularly bleak atmosphere: most of the action is set during a harsh winter, the dialogue has virtually no humor and the ending - which should give the audience a sense of satisfaction - is grimly downbeat. This is probably because in achieving justice for Janet, her sympathizers have virtually duplicated the methods of the conspirators and brought about a similar result - a gruesome death and a woman on the edge of madness.
Highly recommended viewing.
Instead of centering the action of the second half on characters sympathetic to the heroine who might take up her cause, identify the conspirators and bring them to justice - as happens in, for example, "Psycho" - the script reveals to the audience who the conspirators are, and then, until the final scene, makes them the center of the action.
It is asking a lot of an audience to identify with those whose machinations have brought about the committal of a sympathetic heroine, and this may well explain why the second half of "Nightmare" is less gripping than the first - especially as the plot of the second half is a variation on what has gone before, this time with an unsympathetic character experiencing terrifying events. This part of the screenplay also stretches credibility, since it seems unlikely that an antagonist with an alert and cunning mind would not detect a plot which is dividing him from his female accomplice.
The real strength of "Nightmare", however, is in director Freddie Francis' visual flair. A former cameraman/director of photography, using black and white 'scope and obviously influenced by his work on Jack Clayton's "The Innocents", he succeeds in creating a real sense of fear and isolation around his vulnerable heroine.
He achieves this by using the expanse of the 'scope frame, often surrounding Janet with shadows or, in daylight, setting her in a frame devoid of anything or anybody reassuring. For example: when Janet travels home from school, the railway station is almost deserted; we do not see the departing train from which she has presumably just alighted. There are no other cars on the road as she is driven home. As they pass the asylum she dreads, there are no signs of human activity within the grounds. Once back home she is dwarfed by the mansion "High Towers" she has become heir to, and her isolation is compounded by her home being located in remote snow-covered countryside.
Janet's isolation is social as well as physical; ostracized at boarding school in the early scenes, and clinging to a grotesque doll and a small transistor radio, she is never seen with anyone her own age (mid-teens). Her only friend at the school is a sympathetic teacher. At "High Towers" the guardian she dotes on, Henry Baxter, is at least twice her age - as are her other household companions.
In addition to traditional Gothic trappings (heroines wandering dark corridors in flowing night-dresses, candlelight illumination, door handles seen turning slowly and ghostly nocturnal figures) Freddie Francis endows several everyday objects with fearful connotations - Janet's doll, her transistor radio that forever blares out fast jazz, and above all, a birthday cake with lighted candles. The latter becomes a powerful image of dread, since it was on Janet's eleventh birthday the horrific event occurred that started the cycle of nightmares and fear of inherited insanity.
"Nightmare" has a particularly bleak atmosphere: most of the action is set during a harsh winter, the dialogue has virtually no humor and the ending - which should give the audience a sense of satisfaction - is grimly downbeat. This is probably because in achieving justice for Janet, her sympathizers have virtually duplicated the methods of the conspirators and brought about a similar result - a gruesome death and a woman on the edge of madness.
Highly recommended viewing.
Good chiller from Hammer.
Hey_Sweden19 November 2016
During the 1960s, Hammer would sometimes counteract their lavish color Gothic horrors with some effective black & white psychological thrillers; this is one of the latter type.
Moira Redmond plays Grace Maddox, a nurse/companion hired by attorney Henry Baxter (David Knight). Henry is guardian to a very fragile teen aged girl named Janet (Jennie Linden), who as a child witnessed her mother snap and kill her father. Plagued by nightmares, Janet travels home from school and continues to be haunted by visions of a scar faced woman in white (Clytie Jessop).
It would be better for me to not relay too much about the plot, so that potential viewers can experience the twists and plot developments fresh. It manages to avoid being particularly predictable.
Written and produced by famed Hammer scribe Jimmy Sangster, "Nightmare" is good fun, although I don't know if the screenplay would hold up under any intense scrutiny. Still, it is quite entertaining, and slickly directed by ace cinematographer (and sometime director) Freddie Francis. It's got plenty of atmosphere, especially in the opening scene, and Francis works well with the D.P. on this show, John Wilcox. The music by Don Banks is excellent.
The cast is full of solid actors but no major stars. Brenda Bruce as kindly teacher Mary Lewis, George A. Cooper as chauffeur / gardener John, Irene Richmond as housekeeper Mrs. Gibbs, John Welsh as a doctor, Timothy Bateson as a barman, and Elizabeth Dear as the younger incarnation of Janet round out the credited players. The film ultimately belongs to those performers who are required to act out stress and hysteria; they're utterly convincing.
A worthy viewing for any Hammer fan.
Seven out of 10.
Moira Redmond plays Grace Maddox, a nurse/companion hired by attorney Henry Baxter (David Knight). Henry is guardian to a very fragile teen aged girl named Janet (Jennie Linden), who as a child witnessed her mother snap and kill her father. Plagued by nightmares, Janet travels home from school and continues to be haunted by visions of a scar faced woman in white (Clytie Jessop).
It would be better for me to not relay too much about the plot, so that potential viewers can experience the twists and plot developments fresh. It manages to avoid being particularly predictable.
Written and produced by famed Hammer scribe Jimmy Sangster, "Nightmare" is good fun, although I don't know if the screenplay would hold up under any intense scrutiny. Still, it is quite entertaining, and slickly directed by ace cinematographer (and sometime director) Freddie Francis. It's got plenty of atmosphere, especially in the opening scene, and Francis works well with the D.P. on this show, John Wilcox. The music by Don Banks is excellent.
The cast is full of solid actors but no major stars. Brenda Bruce as kindly teacher Mary Lewis, George A. Cooper as chauffeur / gardener John, Irene Richmond as housekeeper Mrs. Gibbs, John Welsh as a doctor, Timothy Bateson as a barman, and Elizabeth Dear as the younger incarnation of Janet round out the credited players. The film ultimately belongs to those performers who are required to act out stress and hysteria; they're utterly convincing.
A worthy viewing for any Hammer fan.
Seven out of 10.
A genuinely creepy movie
Fishman19668 October 2020
This is a Hammer film- a studio which is most popular for the re-imagined Frankenstein, Dracula and Mummy movies. But, as far as I know, this is a completely original plot line. The first half is truly creepy, the second half isn't quite as good, but it's still worth a watch.
Let's hear it for Hammer
bensonmum217 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I recently wrote a review of Hammer's Paranoiac and, for the most part, I feel like I could change the name and delete references to Oliver Reed and post it as an original review for Nightmare. Oh, sure, there are differences between the two when you start talking about specific plot points, but the general theme is the same. Like Paranoiac, Nightmare is the story of a young woman who is either going insane or being driven insane as part of a fiendish plot. The girl has visions of a woman roaming the halls of her house. When she follows the woman, she inevitably finds her lying on a bed with a knife stuck in her chest.
If Nightmare excels at anything it's acting and atmosphere. The cast of non-Hammer regulars is wonderful. I've read that Jennie Linden was a last minute replacement to fill the role of the insane young woman. She's wonderfully believable in one of her first roles. I doubt that someone with considerable experience could have pulled it off so convincingly. As for atmosphere, I've always been of the belief that solid atmosphere is essential for an effective horror/thriller. And director Freddie Francis creates some very effective atmosphere. Everything from the sets to the cinematography to character reactions appears to have been designed to wring every last drop of atmosphere out of the script.
I couldn't be happier with the recently released eight-movie Hammer Horror Series. While most fans will surely purchase the set for the better known Frankenstein, Dracula, and Werewolf movies, I hope that most are as pleasantly surprised by the lesser known B&W Hammer films as I am.
If Nightmare excels at anything it's acting and atmosphere. The cast of non-Hammer regulars is wonderful. I've read that Jennie Linden was a last minute replacement to fill the role of the insane young woman. She's wonderfully believable in one of her first roles. I doubt that someone with considerable experience could have pulled it off so convincingly. As for atmosphere, I've always been of the belief that solid atmosphere is essential for an effective horror/thriller. And director Freddie Francis creates some very effective atmosphere. Everything from the sets to the cinematography to character reactions appears to have been designed to wring every last drop of atmosphere out of the script.
I couldn't be happier with the recently released eight-movie Hammer Horror Series. While most fans will surely purchase the set for the better known Frankenstein, Dracula, and Werewolf movies, I hope that most are as pleasantly surprised by the lesser known B&W Hammer films as I am.
A pretty good chiller from Hammer
preppy-313 December 2005
Young Janet (Jennie Linden) saw her insane mother stab her father to death when she was a little girl. Years later she's still traumatized by it and is afraid she'll become insane like her mother. Her guardian Henry (David Knight) and nurse Grace (Moira Redmond) try to help her but she starts going mad...
This turns out to be nothing more than a reworking of the French film "Diabolique"--but it's pretty good. I have to admit I was actually surprised by one or two events that I should have seen coming. The film is shot in moody black & white (and Hammerscope) which helps immensely. Also there are good performances--especially by Knight and Redmond. This was a strange movie for Hammer--it wasn't shot in color and had no monsters. Still it works. Recommended. I give it a 7.
This turns out to be nothing more than a reworking of the French film "Diabolique"--but it's pretty good. I have to admit I was actually surprised by one or two events that I should have seen coming. The film is shot in moody black & white (and Hammerscope) which helps immensely. Also there are good performances--especially by Knight and Redmond. This was a strange movie for Hammer--it wasn't shot in color and had no monsters. Still it works. Recommended. I give it a 7.
Underrated and Unknown Thriller by Hammer
claudio_carvalho14 December 2018
When was an eleven year-old child, Janet witnessed her insane mother stabbing her father to death on their bed. Six years later, Janet (Jennie Linden) is a wealthy teenager outcast in a boarding school afflicted by dreadful nightmares and fearing to have inherited her mother´s insanity. After a series of nightmares, her teacher Mary Lewis (Brenda Bruce) brings Janet home and she is welcomed by the family chauffeur John (George A. Cooper), by his wife and housekeeper Mrs. Gibbs (Irene Richmond) and by the beautiful nurse Grace Maddox (Moira Redmond), who was hired as a companion by her guardian Henry Baxter (David Knight). However Janet continues to have nightmares with a woman (Clytie Jessop) with a scar on her face and wearing a white shroud wandering in the house and stabbed on her parents´ bed. After trying to commit suicide, two doctors and Henry summon Janet to the living room to decide whether she should go to an asylum. When Henry brings his wife to the room, Janet sees the woman with scar and stabs her to death. She is sent to an institution and soon a diabolical plot is disclosed. What will happen next?
"Nightmare" is an underrated and unknown thriller by Hammer, with a great story of greed and insanity. The plot is predictable but also engaging. The black and white cinematography and the camera work are magnificent. Jennie Linden never convinces as a teenager but the rest of the cast is excellent. The hysterical behavior of women on the 60´s is annoying but a reality in those years. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Cilada Diabólica" ("Devilish Entrapment")
"Nightmare" is an underrated and unknown thriller by Hammer, with a great story of greed and insanity. The plot is predictable but also engaging. The black and white cinematography and the camera work are magnificent. Jennie Linden never convinces as a teenager but the rest of the cast is excellent. The hysterical behavior of women on the 60´s is annoying but a reality in those years. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Cilada Diabólica" ("Devilish Entrapment")
Recommended for any fan of British horror
tomgillespie200215 July 2016
Freddie Francis' Nightmare is one of those lesser-known movies from Hammer Films which usually finds itself lumped together in box sets dominated by their more popular Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy series. It's obscurity is slightly unfair, as this black-and-white psychological horror-come-slasher unravels itself cleverly and with a healthy dose of style. Written by Hammer regular Jimmy Sangster, Nightmare conjures up a fair share of creepiness despite its age, and often feels somewhat Hitchcockian in its execution.
Janet (Jennie Linden) is a young girl attending boarding school. At night, she is plagued by nightmares of when she witnessed the stabbing of her father at the hands of her deranged mother. As her mental state worsens, she is sent back home to her guardian Henry Baxter (David Knight) and assigned a nurse Grace Maddox (Moira Redmond). Soon after arriving, Janet starts to have visions of a woman she has never seen before with a huge scar on her cheek. Essentially a movie broken into two parts, the second act cannot be summarised without giving away a spoiler.
The visuals are rather bland - Hammer tended to churn out movies quickly and cheaply to serve as a starter for the main event in cinemas - but the black-and-white photography gives the film a Gothic, and almost noirish, sense of style. While Knight is enjoyably smug, the rest of the cast fail to make any real impression, with the pre- Women in Love (1969) Linden extremely lucky to find herself cast after a number of preferable choices, including Julie Christie who chose to make Billy Liar instead, were unavailable. But the film's flaws are to be expected - it is a quickie B-movie after all - and it makes the most of its limitations. The plot's mystery is engrossing and the pacing is odd yet intriguing, and I would recommend Nightmare to any fan of British horror.
Janet (Jennie Linden) is a young girl attending boarding school. At night, she is plagued by nightmares of when she witnessed the stabbing of her father at the hands of her deranged mother. As her mental state worsens, she is sent back home to her guardian Henry Baxter (David Knight) and assigned a nurse Grace Maddox (Moira Redmond). Soon after arriving, Janet starts to have visions of a woman she has never seen before with a huge scar on her cheek. Essentially a movie broken into two parts, the second act cannot be summarised without giving away a spoiler.
The visuals are rather bland - Hammer tended to churn out movies quickly and cheaply to serve as a starter for the main event in cinemas - but the black-and-white photography gives the film a Gothic, and almost noirish, sense of style. While Knight is enjoyably smug, the rest of the cast fail to make any real impression, with the pre- Women in Love (1969) Linden extremely lucky to find herself cast after a number of preferable choices, including Julie Christie who chose to make Billy Liar instead, were unavailable. But the film's flaws are to be expected - it is a quickie B-movie after all - and it makes the most of its limitations. The plot's mystery is engrossing and the pacing is odd yet intriguing, and I would recommend Nightmare to any fan of British horror.
How to murder your wife, psycho-thriller style.
BA_Harrison15 May 2020
In addition to their more familiar vampire/monster movies, Hammer Studios also produced a series of psychological thrillers which took inspiration from such cinematic successes as Psycho (1960) and Les Diaboliques (1955). It is the latter French chiller that Nightmare seeks to emulate most closely, the plot revolving around a devious couple who conspire to send a young woman insane and drive her to murder.
Poor teenager Janet (Jennie Linden) is already a tad flaky, having witnessed the murder of her father at the hands of her deranged mother. Frightened that she will also lose her marbles and be locked away like her mum, Janet suffers from nightmares that disturb the other girls at her boarding school. As a result, Janet is sent to stay at her family home of High Towers, under the supervision of her guardian, lawyer Henry Baxter (David Knight), and nurse/companion Grace Maddox (Moira Redmond). It is Baxter and Maddox who plan to tip the already delicate Janet over the edge in the hope that she will kill Baxter's wealthy wife whilst in a confused state. An unlikely plan that somehow actually works!
Job done, the scheming couple get married and move into High Towers, but soon after, Grace starts to hear strange sounds and sees glimpses of a figure in the corridors; she also becomes suspicious of Henry, thinking that he has been seeing another woman. Becoming increasingly paranoid, Grace's sanity starts to slip, especially when she hears that Janet has escaped from the asylum and is still considered extremely dangerous.
Director Freddie Francis does what he can with the hackneyed and rather preposterous script, as do the cast, but in the end the film suffers from a 'seen it all before' storyline that offers few surprises. Francis manages to establish an eerie atmosphere with his stark B&W cinematography, the scene set for absolute terror, but, thanks to the predictability of proceedings, genuine scares are in short supply, the most frightening thing about the whole film being that ugly doll that Janet carries around with her: it's no wonder she has nightmares with that thing in the same room.
5/10. The studio's two psychological thrillers from the previous year -- The Maniac and Paranoiac -- are much better.
Poor teenager Janet (Jennie Linden) is already a tad flaky, having witnessed the murder of her father at the hands of her deranged mother. Frightened that she will also lose her marbles and be locked away like her mum, Janet suffers from nightmares that disturb the other girls at her boarding school. As a result, Janet is sent to stay at her family home of High Towers, under the supervision of her guardian, lawyer Henry Baxter (David Knight), and nurse/companion Grace Maddox (Moira Redmond). It is Baxter and Maddox who plan to tip the already delicate Janet over the edge in the hope that she will kill Baxter's wealthy wife whilst in a confused state. An unlikely plan that somehow actually works!
Job done, the scheming couple get married and move into High Towers, but soon after, Grace starts to hear strange sounds and sees glimpses of a figure in the corridors; she also becomes suspicious of Henry, thinking that he has been seeing another woman. Becoming increasingly paranoid, Grace's sanity starts to slip, especially when she hears that Janet has escaped from the asylum and is still considered extremely dangerous.
Director Freddie Francis does what he can with the hackneyed and rather preposterous script, as do the cast, but in the end the film suffers from a 'seen it all before' storyline that offers few surprises. Francis manages to establish an eerie atmosphere with his stark B&W cinematography, the scene set for absolute terror, but, thanks to the predictability of proceedings, genuine scares are in short supply, the most frightening thing about the whole film being that ugly doll that Janet carries around with her: it's no wonder she has nightmares with that thing in the same room.
5/10. The studio's two psychological thrillers from the previous year -- The Maniac and Paranoiac -- are much better.
Eerie and memorable chiller!
bsfraser200325 December 2003
I first saw this little seen and somehow very memorable film, when I was around thirteen or so. The opening asylum and subsequent 'corridor' scenes quite petrified me at the time. Viewing it now, it still sends a chill down the spine! it is a superbly photographed film, the crisp black and white images and contrast augment the 'in the shadows' feel of the film. The stunning outdoor scenes were shot over the freezing British winter of 1962-63. The scenes where Janet is trapped with her Mother are truly chilling and the suspense rarely lets up from there. The outstanding cinematography of this film deserves it to be watched in a darkened room... Do not miss.
An unstable girl returns to her large, family estate and is menaced by various terrifying images that may or may not be real.
verna5514 September 2000
One of Hammer Films' best psychological-shockers features a marvellous British cast, great black and white cinematography, and solid direction by veteran horror filmmaker Freddie Francis. Like so many of Hammer's psychological scare flicks, the plot-within-a-plot owes much to the 50's French classic DIABOLIQUE, but this is still a moderately creepy little thriller.
Would This Get Made Today?
BloodTheTelepathicDog7 May 2011
Now that screenplay format has to be a certain way--which ruins the film going experience--I highly doubt a film like this would be produced today. Studios would probably scoff at the change in direction this movie gives its viewer. The first half of the film focuses on one character, who we feel is the film's central figure, but then it changes gears and the script gives viewers a new main character halfway through the film. This leads the average film-goer to confusion and this device of changing main characters midway through the film would never fly today.
The film starts with teenage Janet (Jennie Linden) who is sent home from her school. Janet, when she was eleven, witnessed her mother commit murder. Deemed insane, her mother was shipped to an asylum and the emotional Janet fears she is following in her mother's steps. Things don't go well at home as Janet has visions of a woman murdered in her family house. Although she has a strong support group around her, nurse Grace (Moira Redmond), her guardian Harry (David Knight), housemaid Mrs. Gibbs (Irene Richmond) and chauffeur John (George Cooper) she looses her marbles and gets sent to the sanitarium at the film's midpoint.
Then the film focuses on Grace who feels someone in the house is trying to drive her mad. She too begins to see visions of a woman stalking the house. But who is trying to drive her mad? The same person that drove Janet mad? Grace feels that she knows who the culprit is but someone could be playing a cat and mouse game with her.
STORY: $$$$ (The story is quite strong. The script will have you second guessing because it strays so far from convention. The problem with the shift in focal characters is that you, as a viewer, develop a relationship with the lead actor but then have that relationship squashed. Then you have to invest in a new relationship with a different character. This is the only real flaw to the film, but something can be said for breaking free of the by-the-numbers script that everything in Hollywood has become nowadays).
ACTING: $$$$ (The acting is quite extraordinary. Jennie Linden gives the best performance as the tortured Janet which, given her exceptional work, hinders the film when she loses her status as the lead. She effectively captures the audience and just when you feel the utmost emotion for her Janet, the rug is pulled out from under the viewer and her character is lost. David Knight is chillingly self-absorbed as Henry and Moira Redmond is quite strong as the quick-tempered Grace. Both Irene Richmond and George Cooper give sensitive performances in their minor roles, as does Brenda Bruce who plays Janet's sympathetic school teacher).
The film starts with teenage Janet (Jennie Linden) who is sent home from her school. Janet, when she was eleven, witnessed her mother commit murder. Deemed insane, her mother was shipped to an asylum and the emotional Janet fears she is following in her mother's steps. Things don't go well at home as Janet has visions of a woman murdered in her family house. Although she has a strong support group around her, nurse Grace (Moira Redmond), her guardian Harry (David Knight), housemaid Mrs. Gibbs (Irene Richmond) and chauffeur John (George Cooper) she looses her marbles and gets sent to the sanitarium at the film's midpoint.
Then the film focuses on Grace who feels someone in the house is trying to drive her mad. She too begins to see visions of a woman stalking the house. But who is trying to drive her mad? The same person that drove Janet mad? Grace feels that she knows who the culprit is but someone could be playing a cat and mouse game with her.
STORY: $$$$ (The story is quite strong. The script will have you second guessing because it strays so far from convention. The problem with the shift in focal characters is that you, as a viewer, develop a relationship with the lead actor but then have that relationship squashed. Then you have to invest in a new relationship with a different character. This is the only real flaw to the film, but something can be said for breaking free of the by-the-numbers script that everything in Hollywood has become nowadays).
ACTING: $$$$ (The acting is quite extraordinary. Jennie Linden gives the best performance as the tortured Janet which, given her exceptional work, hinders the film when she loses her status as the lead. She effectively captures the audience and just when you feel the utmost emotion for her Janet, the rug is pulled out from under the viewer and her character is lost. David Knight is chillingly self-absorbed as Henry and Moira Redmond is quite strong as the quick-tempered Grace. Both Irene Richmond and George Cooper give sensitive performances in their minor roles, as does Brenda Bruce who plays Janet's sympathetic school teacher).
Sinister.
AaronCapenBanner23 November 2013
Freddie Francis directed this psychological suspense thriller that stars Jennie Linden as a young woman named Janet sent home from her boarding school after repeatedly waking up screaming from nightmares where she sees her mother stab her father to death, which really happened. Her guardian Henry(played by David Knight) and nurse Grace(played by Moira Redmond) try to help her, but Janet ends up in the asylum like her mother, though as it turns out, she is betrayed by those she trusted in an elaborate plot, which in turn boomerangs on them... Marginal film has effective direction and performances, but an overly complicated plot that ultimately doesn't ring true.
Nightmare (1964) **1/2
JoeKarlosi22 February 2009
NIGHTMARE (1964)
A third entry in Hammer Films' psychotic mystery series, this wasn't quite as satisfying as PARANOIAC or SCREAM OF FEAR, but it was still pretty good. A young woman (Jennie Linden) is at a girl's school suffering from horrid nightmares about her insane mother, so she is sent home to work out her problems under the care of a nurse, where the horror continues. Some chilling goings-on, and I really liked the performance of Moira Redmond as the caregiver working things out with Linden. She's got some wild interplay with her husband in the film (played by David Knight) that's fun to watch. **1/2 out of ****
A third entry in Hammer Films' psychotic mystery series, this wasn't quite as satisfying as PARANOIAC or SCREAM OF FEAR, but it was still pretty good. A young woman (Jennie Linden) is at a girl's school suffering from horrid nightmares about her insane mother, so she is sent home to work out her problems under the care of a nurse, where the horror continues. Some chilling goings-on, and I really liked the performance of Moira Redmond as the caregiver working things out with Linden. She's got some wild interplay with her husband in the film (played by David Knight) that's fun to watch. **1/2 out of ****
If you liked STRAIGHT-JACKET or DIABOLIQUE, then you'll probably love this film!
planktonrules14 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Janet has been sent home from her residential school due to her being constantly plagued by horrible dreams. It's hoped that a rest might help, but it's also very natural that she's having troubles, as only six years earlier, she witnessed her mother going on a bloody rampage! Janet is worried that she, too, might be losing her mind. Unfortunately, there are those out there that might just be helping to speed up this process! Exactly what happens next is pretty exciting, but I won't say more, as I don't want to spoil the suspense and many cool twists.
Now if you are looking for a subtle film, then this might not be it! Like STRAIGHT-JACKET, the movie has many great suspense elements but also is a bit of a guilty pleasure because of the extremely intense and LOUD acting! Also, like DIABOLIQUE, the film has so many good plots within plots that you're never exactly sure who's orchestrating what. Additionally, there are also story elements that are highly reminiscent of HUSH, HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE. If you like any of these films, then you'll no doubt like NIGHTMARE.
A wonderful script and a great mood make this Hammer suspense film a terrific film for lovers of suspense.
Now if you are looking for a subtle film, then this might not be it! Like STRAIGHT-JACKET, the movie has many great suspense elements but also is a bit of a guilty pleasure because of the extremely intense and LOUD acting! Also, like DIABOLIQUE, the film has so many good plots within plots that you're never exactly sure who's orchestrating what. Additionally, there are also story elements that are highly reminiscent of HUSH, HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE. If you like any of these films, then you'll no doubt like NIGHTMARE.
A wonderful script and a great mood make this Hammer suspense film a terrific film for lovers of suspense.
Twisty twisty
nightroses14 August 2021
This is a Hammer film that I've never seen before until now. It was made in black-and-white and sets the mood. I found it a very nice and tense film, with a conspiracy and a ghost. What I also liked is the interior of the house, the baroque furniture, so many pretty rooms and stairs. The characters were well acted and the lead, the schoolgirl who suffers nightmares, seems to portray someone much younger than she is. Perhaps its all because she suffered trauma in her childhood and has creepy visions of a ghost woman.; I would love to recommend this to anyone who likes old style psychological horror.
Classic suspense film,
dvdre-6578931 October 2017
Back in 1964, when I was 11, I went to see a double feature featuring Boris Karloff's 'Black Sabbath' and this British film. My friend and I chuckled through Black Sabbath, we were up to this! So adult. Then 'Nightmare' started and we 'watched' most of the movie from the floor of the theater. We couldn't bear it. Suspense beats monsters.
It finally happened She's slightly mad.
Coventry11 March 2007
The legendary British Hammer Studios perhaps spent most of their time exploiting classic horror stories through numerous sequels (EIGHT entries in the "Dracula"-series, SEVEN misadventures of Baron "Frankenstein") and serving up other grotesque monster-mash movies, but they also produced a handful of genuinely convoluted psychological thrillers in the likes of "Diabolique" and even Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". These obscure films (apart from "Nightmare", there's also "Hysteria", "Paranoiac" and "Fanatic") may not be very popular by today's standards, because they're not that bloody and don't have highly recognizable names in the casts, but their scripts are extremely engaging and often give insightful information regarding the darkest corners of the human mind. "Nightmare" is basically another simplistic story about greed and conspiracy, but the imaginative elaboration courtesy of Hammer regulars Freddie Francis and Jimmy Sangster makes it a compelling mystery oozing with a Gothic atmosphere. The intro alone is quite petrifying, as it shows an uncanny lady luring her own daughter into a morbid asylum. We then learn this is a recurring dream young Janet suffers from ever since, on her eleventh birthday, she witnessed how her mother killed her father with a kitchen knife. Since Janet's fear of inheriting her mother's mental illness becomes uncontrollable, her teachers at the boarding school decide to sent her back to the parental home under the supervision of the family's attorney Henry Baxter and the charming young nurse Grace. Back at the estate, someone deliberately intends to push the emotionally vulnerable young girl over a mental edge by carefully re-enacting the events of that traumatizing night. Whoever it is attempting to harm Janet; they may succeed but they will also be punished for it! Jimmy Sangster neatly divided his screenplay into two equally strong chapters, one revolving on the conspiracy against poor Janet and the other focusing on the well-deserved downfall of the villains. Especially the second half of the film is terrific, since it's dealing with a fairly new and innovative theme. Usually in these psychological thrillers, the screenplay just builds up towards one complex climax, but there's two in "Nightmare". The plot twists and red herrings are cleverly executed and there are several moments of genuine suspense. The film also benefices from a superb black and white photography as well as excellent locations, like the old country house and the aforementioned images of the eerie asylum. The acting performances are a bit wooden, though. David Knight fails to impress and Moira Redmond is unable to carry the film on her own as soon as the other female lead Jennie Linden disappears from the set. Highly recommended to the more experienced Hammer fan.
Follow the money.
lastliberal-853-2537083 March 2014
Hammer horror written by the great Jimmy Sangster (The Curse of Frankenstein, The Horror of Dracula).
This is a film that compares well with later films like Gothika and The Sixth Sense. It shows that Hammer does not always have to rely on gore and sex, and can in fact make a psychological horror film that entertains.
It may not be the best of Hammer Horror, and it certainly isn't the best that Jimmy Sangster has written, but it is still a good film and you should see it at least once.
Jennie Linden (Women in Love, Dr. Who and the Daleks) as Janet did a good job.
This is a film that compares well with later films like Gothika and The Sixth Sense. It shows that Hammer does not always have to rely on gore and sex, and can in fact make a psychological horror film that entertains.
It may not be the best of Hammer Horror, and it certainly isn't the best that Jimmy Sangster has written, but it is still a good film and you should see it at least once.
Jennie Linden (Women in Love, Dr. Who and the Daleks) as Janet did a good job.
Amazing cinematography
edeighton30 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
My Review of Nightmare (1964) *SPOILERS*
Now this was a nice film to end the Halloween season. A very high-quality gothic horror/chiller/mystery. This film is visually impressive and brilliant. Director, Freddie Francis, sets up every shot from new and interesting angles. A former cameraman/director of photography, director, Freddie Francis makes great use of lighting and scope to create a sense of fear and isolation around the super sweet and vulnerable young Janet (Jennie Linden). This black and white film was much more colorful and vivid than the washed-out look of Video Violence. The lack of color is hardly noticed as the director's use of lighting vividly creates a rich palette of contrasting shades. The gorgeous sets (especially the High Towers mansion) further contribute to the development of the atmosphere of this film: tension, paranoia and suspense.
Very good performances from the cast and a nice tight script with twists by veteran Hammer writer, Jimmy Sangster, lead to an enjoyable movie. The sinister, Henry Baxter (David Knight) is a great villain. He uses Janet's school-girl crush to gain her confidence and trust only to prey upon her obvious mental problems. Henry Baxter also uses the affections of Grace (Moria Redmond) to convince her to help him drive Janet crazy enough to kill his wife. Then once he has inherited his wife's money and use of Janet's estate, he starts treating Grace with disdain and disinterest. David Knight does a great job portraying a smug and villainous character that is interesting enough to compel the viewer to watch even after we learn of Janet's fate just so we can see whether he is ever brought to justice.
The scene where Janet shatters the mirror with her radio and uses a shard to slit her own wrist evoked a physical reaction from me. Her desperation and anguish is intense and this scene is the punctuation point concluding all of the tension built up from the previous creepy dream-like scenes as Janet descends into madness.
The weakest part of this movie though was the inclusion of Janet's school teacher (Brenda Bruce) in the house keeper's and driver's plan to get revenge upon Henry and Grace for what they did to Janet. Presumably, John, the driver, and Ms. Gibbs, the housekeeper, have always been in Janet's life and especially became attached to her after she lost her mother and father. Its easy to see why they would be willing to cause murder to revenge Janet against Henry and Grace. But, how did they manage to convince the school teacher to go along with their plan? And, why do they need the school teacher to carry out their plan? They could just as easily manipulate Grace into believing Henry is trying to drive her mad without any help from the school teacher. If they needed a younger woman's help for their scheme, (to impersonate Janet) why couldn't they have recruited the young blond housekeeper that is shown in later scenes with Grace and the older housekeeper.
Now this was a nice film to end the Halloween season. A very high-quality gothic horror/chiller/mystery. This film is visually impressive and brilliant. Director, Freddie Francis, sets up every shot from new and interesting angles. A former cameraman/director of photography, director, Freddie Francis makes great use of lighting and scope to create a sense of fear and isolation around the super sweet and vulnerable young Janet (Jennie Linden). This black and white film was much more colorful and vivid than the washed-out look of Video Violence. The lack of color is hardly noticed as the director's use of lighting vividly creates a rich palette of contrasting shades. The gorgeous sets (especially the High Towers mansion) further contribute to the development of the atmosphere of this film: tension, paranoia and suspense.
Very good performances from the cast and a nice tight script with twists by veteran Hammer writer, Jimmy Sangster, lead to an enjoyable movie. The sinister, Henry Baxter (David Knight) is a great villain. He uses Janet's school-girl crush to gain her confidence and trust only to prey upon her obvious mental problems. Henry Baxter also uses the affections of Grace (Moria Redmond) to convince her to help him drive Janet crazy enough to kill his wife. Then once he has inherited his wife's money and use of Janet's estate, he starts treating Grace with disdain and disinterest. David Knight does a great job portraying a smug and villainous character that is interesting enough to compel the viewer to watch even after we learn of Janet's fate just so we can see whether he is ever brought to justice.
The scene where Janet shatters the mirror with her radio and uses a shard to slit her own wrist evoked a physical reaction from me. Her desperation and anguish is intense and this scene is the punctuation point concluding all of the tension built up from the previous creepy dream-like scenes as Janet descends into madness.
The weakest part of this movie though was the inclusion of Janet's school teacher (Brenda Bruce) in the house keeper's and driver's plan to get revenge upon Henry and Grace for what they did to Janet. Presumably, John, the driver, and Ms. Gibbs, the housekeeper, have always been in Janet's life and especially became attached to her after she lost her mother and father. Its easy to see why they would be willing to cause murder to revenge Janet against Henry and Grace. But, how did they manage to convince the school teacher to go along with their plan? And, why do they need the school teacher to carry out their plan? They could just as easily manipulate Grace into believing Henry is trying to drive her mad without any help from the school teacher. If they needed a younger woman's help for their scheme, (to impersonate Janet) why couldn't they have recruited the young blond housekeeper that is shown in later scenes with Grace and the older housekeeper.
Nightmare
Prismark1014 November 2019
Directed by famed cinematographer Freddie Francis. Nightmare is a Gothic thriller from Hammer and it is a film of two halves.
I did think the first half was weaker. It is more melodramatic with a lot of screaming. It does set up the story.
As a young girl Janet saw her mother go mad and stab her father to death. Now the teenage Janet is having nightmares at boarding school. Her teacher has taken Janet to her family home but Janet has nightmares of a woman with a scar on her face. Janet even tries to self harm, she is going insane.
It is the second half which has a reveal of what really happened. It has elements of Gaslight and Psycho. The perpetrators of this diabolical plot get their comeuppance by getting a taste of their own medicine and paranoia.
Wonderfully photographed in black and white. Francis should had tweaked the first half of the film to be more subtly chilling.
I did think the first half was weaker. It is more melodramatic with a lot of screaming. It does set up the story.
As a young girl Janet saw her mother go mad and stab her father to death. Now the teenage Janet is having nightmares at boarding school. Her teacher has taken Janet to her family home but Janet has nightmares of a woman with a scar on her face. Janet even tries to self harm, she is going insane.
It is the second half which has a reveal of what really happened. It has elements of Gaslight and Psycho. The perpetrators of this diabolical plot get their comeuppance by getting a taste of their own medicine and paranoia.
Wonderfully photographed in black and white. Francis should had tweaked the first half of the film to be more subtly chilling.
Vicariously killing.
dbdumonteil21 September 2014
Released the same year as Aldrich's "hush hush sweet Charlotte" which it sometimes recalls, "nightmare" is a good effort in the enjoyable Hammer productions .
This is roughly a two-part screenplay;IMHO,the second one surpasses the first.It look be performed on stage and the final unexpected twist is worthy of Agatha Christie's celebrated "The mousetrap" .The Gothic atmosphere ,in Janet's desirable mansion ,gives the jitters."It will be alright" says the servant to the tormented young girl as an ominous wind begins to howl.
Superbly filmed in black and white,and without today's special effects which mar so many stories.
This is roughly a two-part screenplay;IMHO,the second one surpasses the first.It look be performed on stage and the final unexpected twist is worthy of Agatha Christie's celebrated "The mousetrap" .The Gothic atmosphere ,in Janet's desirable mansion ,gives the jitters."It will be alright" says the servant to the tormented young girl as an ominous wind begins to howl.
Superbly filmed in black and white,and without today's special effects which mar so many stories.
Beautiful Black and White
hwg1957-102-26570422 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Nightmare is a film of two halves, with Jennie Linden as Janet highlighted in the first and David Knight and Moira Redmond as Henry and Grace in the second part. The plot is the same for both halves, the use of fear to get someone to commit murder. Opinions vary but I think the first half is better mainly because the second half doesn't really hold water. How did the Gibbs and Mary Lewis discover what had been done to Janet and who did it? And if what Henry and Grace did was criminal so too was what they did. The ending seemed far fetched.
The acting is good from British stalwarts like Brenda Bruce, George A. Cooper and Moira Redmond and particularly in the first half the suspense and fear are well portrayed. It is shot in lovely black and white and in wide screen that shows how perfect B & W photography was to eerie subjects. There are daytime scenes that just as creepy as the night scenes. A treat to look at throughout the film.
As an entry in Hammer's suspense (as opposed to monster) films it is well worth viewing.
The acting is good from British stalwarts like Brenda Bruce, George A. Cooper and Moira Redmond and particularly in the first half the suspense and fear are well portrayed. It is shot in lovely black and white and in wide screen that shows how perfect B & W photography was to eerie subjects. There are daytime scenes that just as creepy as the night scenes. A treat to look at throughout the film.
As an entry in Hammer's suspense (as opposed to monster) films it is well worth viewing.
The biters bit.
ulicknormanowen15 June 2020
A neglected Hammer production ,this excellent thriller has enough sudden new developments to satisfy today's audience :no special effects (or so few) , no gore, no monsters, but there's no let up as the screenplay builds on suspense .The performances are over-the -top , which is fine with such a far-fetched story .The script uses old formulas ,but it works from start to finish ,with a surprise ending which is bound to catch all but the most astute unaware .
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