The Ghoul – 1975 | 88 mins | Horror | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Brisk period chiller built around a slender story set in the 1920s, starring Peter Cushing, John Hurt and Alexandra Bastedo. Verging into old Hammer territory, this cliché-ridden hokum written by Anthony Hinds under the pseudonym of John Elder is ghoulish fun that rattles along in spirited style. Unfortunately veteran horror director and master cinematographer Freddie Francis, in a film produced by his son Kevin, directs the film in the most lifeless style imaginable. Of the cast, Peter Cushing is excellent and compelling, whilst John Hurt is criminally underused as he goes gloriously over the top as a mad gardener.

Two pairs of party-goers embark on a car race to Land’s End, but as fog closes in one of the couples, Daphne and Billy, they are forced to stop and seek petrol. Whilst Billy searches for a garage, Daphne is whisked away by poor mad Tom (John Hurt) to seek refuge in the remote mansion of defrocked clergyman Dr. Lawrence (Peter Cushing). Lawrence has returned from India with a horrifying family secret and a mystical Indian servant (Gwen Watford). Unbeknown to Dr. Lawrence’s visitors, his son resides in the locked attic and suffers from uncontrollable cannibalism; resulting in house guests being sacrificed to Kali for his nourishment. When Daphne and Billy fail to put in an appearance, competing racers Angela and Geoffrey discover the police have found the body of Billy in his crashed car at the foot of a cliff. Geoffrey heads off into the marshland to investigate – leaving Angela to be abducted by mad Tom. When Geoffrey returns and finds his companion missing – he immediately heads to the mansion of Dr. Lawrence looking for his friends.