After plenty of hype, I finally got the chance to watch Fright, from director Peter Collinson.
Lauded as a precursor to the early slashers of the 1970s, such as Black Christmas, When a Stranger Calls and Halloween, my immediate takeaway was that I had been slightly missold.
We as genre fans strive to discover perceived forgotten classics or films that have aged well, but I have to admit Fright is a mixed bag.
Some fans of cult cinema will recognise Susan George from Enter the Ninja or Straw Dogs, but here she is given limited agency, as she spends most of the film wailing in terror at the invader at the home she is babysitting.
This plot motif alone recalls the old motif of the babysitter and the man upstairs, which directly or indirectly, depending on who you speak to, influenced Black Christmas and When a Stranger Calls.
It’s at these points early on that Fright is at its best, and conjures up some genuine dread but once the attacker has entered the house, it becomes more melodramatic.
George’s teenager is babysitting for a couple who are going out to celebrate their divorce, but they don’t know the mother’s ex-husband has escaped a mental institution and is heading home to finish what he started.
Ex-husband Brian is played with camp glee by Ian Bannen, who, he goes full-on cuckoo bananas, may take some viewers out of the film entirely. There is also an insinuation of rape once he corners George’s Amanda in his son’s bedroom. Yep, potential sexual assault whilst a child tries to sleep next to them, ew.
The supporting cast is very recognisable with Dennis Waterman as Amanda’s boyfriend, who will forever be known for Sweeney. Honor Blackman portrays Helen, the former wife of Brian, and will be recognisable to many as Pussy Galore from Goldfinger. Finally, George Cole plays Jim, but you will know him from the long-running TV series Minder.
Collinson’s direction is passable enough, using plenty of reflective surfaces to create dread in the earlier scenes but again once he and the film cut loose, it does lose some of its magic.
Fright is definitely worth seeing, as you can pinpoint some parts that were used in later more recognisable films, but it does carry very little rewatch value.
Fright is available now on DVD from StudioCanal.
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