William Castle-directed shocker involves a murderous nurse and her 'husband' complicating an inheritance matter. Jean Arless has the flashy leading role, but in the end it's just a gimmick and she's not quite up to the stunt (to her credit, nobody in the cast comes out looking particularly good, as Castle's direction and Robb White's script are equally unsure). The film was photographed by the highly-adept Burnett Guffey, but only the outdoor scenes have a competent appearance; the interiors are over-lit, with heavy shadows, mundane art direction and design (with a staircase only Norman Bates might be happy to own). The film is full of amusingly square attempts at hysteria, but this script is over-complicated and the pacing dawdles. The plot doesn't bear close scrutiny--with a tag at the finish that seems like an apology. Still, you gotta love that "fright break"! ** from ****
Review of Homicidal
