Film Forum

U.K., 1945
Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, Robert Hamer
Screenplay by John Baines, Angus MacPhail, T.E.B. Clarke
With Michael Redgrave, Mervyn Johns, Roland Culver, Sally Ann Howes, Googie Withers
Approx. 77 min. 4K DCP. 

“Unlike most other anthologies—which are usually directed by one person—DEAD OF NIGHT divides its content between four different directors. That the end result is as cohesive and flows as naturally as it does is a testament to the strengths of all its directors. Basil Dearden handled the wraparound segments dealing with the gathering at the manor. The final four minutes of the film, an unbearably chilling whirlpool of madness, is a tour de force depiction of the man’s nightmare. First is the “Haunted Mirror,” about an ancient mirror that reflects its own deadly history. Considering this segment was Robert Hamer’s directorial debut, it is remarkably confident in its depiction of multiple reflections and spatial ambiguities and a prime example of how visual style can overcome weak material to create a uniquely haunting mood. Charles Crichton’s segment, “Golfing Story,” about a gentlemen’s golf bet that ends in suicide and a subsequent haunting, appears between two far scarier stories, and serves to dispel some of the surrounding dread. Even if it is undeniably the film’s weakest link, its placement within the anthology is a thoughtful one and serves as an intermission of sorts.

Alberto Cavalcanti’s renowned segment, “The Ventriloquist’s Dummy,” about a ventriloquist haunted into believing his own dummy is out to get him, uses its spare running time to a distressingly scary end. It is unimpeachable in its atmosphere of psychological confusion and also boasts a very tricky timeline (it should be noted that at one point, we’re watching a flashback within a flashback). Thanks to sharp, angular Caligari-inspired sets and a legendary performance from Michael Redgrave as the disturbed vaudeville star, Cavalcanti’s contribution might be the finest single episode to appear in any horror anthology film.” – Slant Magazine

Recently named by Variety as one of the greatest horror movies of all time.

Reviews

“It offers the same sort of spine-cooling thrill you get from listening to a group of accomplished liars swapping ghost stories.”
– TIME Magazine

“Still the greatest multi-story ghost/horror picture.”
– Kim Newman, Empire Magazine

“A classic of English cinema.”
– Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian