Saturday, 8 August 2020

AND SOON THE DARKNESS **

One of the better British 'chillers' of its period, "And Soon the Darkness" has a very simple premiss, nicely handled by one of the better jobbing directors of the time, Robert Fuest. Two young nurses go on a cycling holiday in France; they have a row, separate and one goes missing. Since she's played by Michele Dotrice, (Frank Spencer's Betty), as something of a stroppy bitch you might actually feel it wouldn't be too much of a loss if the local psychopath did get her. Her companion is perky, sensible Pamela Franklin and Sandor Eles is the tall, dark, handsome and possible deadly stranger. Fuest makes excellent use of wide open spaces to create tension with everyone Franklin meets a potential suspect. Fuest may not do much that's particularly new but what he does he does very well, adhering to the old adage that less is more. Hardly a classic but definitely a cut above.

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