Patrick (1978)

A comatose hospital patient harasses and kills though his powers of telekinesis to claim his private nurse as his own.

Director:

Richard Franklin

Writer:

Everett De Roche (screenplay)

Stars:

Susan Penhaligon, Robert Helpmann, Rod Mullinar

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Susan Penhaligon	...	Kathy Jacquard
Robert Helpmann	...	Doctor Roget
Rod Mullinar	...	Ed Jacquard
Bruce Barry	...	Brian Wright
Julia Blake	...	Matron Cassidy
Helen Hemingway	...	Sister Williams
María Mercedes	...	Nurse Panicale (as Maria Mercedes)
Walter Pym	...	Captain Fraser
Frank Wilson	...	Detective Sgt. Grant
Carole-Ann Aylett	...	Patrick's Mother
Paul Young	...	Lover
Marilyn Rodgers	...	Day Desk Nurse
Peggy Nichols	...	Night Desk Nurse
John Murphy	...	Barman
Ray Chubb	...	S.E.C. Worker

Storyline

After the shocking bathtub death of his mother and her lover, the sinister Patrick lays comatose in a small private hospital, his only action being his involuntary spitting. When a pretty young nurse, just separated from her husband, begins work at the hospital, she senses that Patrick is communicating with her, and he seems to be using his psychic powers to manipulate events in her life.

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | telekinesis | psychic power | looking out a window | climbing stairs | 

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Taglines:

Patrick is Nearly Dead ... And Still He Kills!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 September 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Coma

Filming Locations:

Alfred Hospital, Prahran, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD 400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmways Australasian, Australian International Film Corp. (AIFC), Australian Film Commission, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min 140 min (original cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Agfacolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

British actress Susan Penhaligon was imported from England to headline this Australian feature film.

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Quotes

[to Kathy Jacquard who is applying for a job as a nurse]
Matron Cassidy: Why did you choose the Roget Clinic, Mrs. Jacquard? We tend to attract certain types - lesbians, nymphomaniacs, enema specialists..."

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Connections

Featured in Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)

User Reviews

Is he REALLY asleep?

The later 70's saw a handful of films about people with psychic powers, but this little-known thriller from Australia may just be the most unique of them all.

Nurse comes under the spell of her seemingly comatose patient, whose intense psychic powers are menacing the people around her.

Patrick is a bizarre, yet oddly moving film that benefits strongly from its off-beat and ultimately unpredictable story. It's a tale that manages to side-step clichés to become not only a brooding chiller, but a weird love story as well. There's an occasional good bit of suspense and shock that keeps the tension high. The story also possesses a strange sense of the erotic. Granted, the plot is a bit slow in pace but Richard Franklin's direction and a good cast help to carry it well.

Star Susan Penhaligon does a throughly good performance as the films heroine/victim. Rod Mulliner is good as Penhaligon's troubled husband, as is Bruce Barry as her boyfriend. Robert Thompson is also a stand-out as the films menacing title character. Even though Thompson spends most of the film lying in silence he still conveys a threatening presence, he's just that good of an actor.

For those seeking a left-field thriller that's thoughtfully well done, Patrick may just be your date.

*** 1/2 out of ****