Exhausted pop singer Vicki Robbins (a solid and appealing performance by fetching blonde Suzanne Leigh) decides to take it easy by spending some time at a farm on a remote island. However, things go awry when a swarm of deadly bees start attacking folks left and right.
The merely competent direction by Freddie Francis not only lets the meandering narrative plod along at a sluggish pace, but also crucially fails to generate much in the way of either tension or creepy atmosphere. Worse yet, the paint-by-the-numbers script by Robert Bloch and Anthony Marriott doesn't cut the mustard as a mystery thriller, with the identity of the person behind the whole thing being pretty obvious from the get-go. In addition, the chintzy (far from) special effects leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the sturdy cast keeps this movie watchable: Frank Finlay excels as friendly eccentric bee expert H.W. Manfred, Guy Doleman portrays gruff farmer Ralph Hargrove with delightfully crusty gusto, Catherine Finn likewise adds some vinegar as Hargrove's snippy rundown wife Mary, Kathy Wild exudes a tremendous amount of perky charm as the chipper Doris, and always reliable character actor Michael Ripper makes the most out of his sizable supporting part as amiable bar owner/constable David Hawkins. Both John Wilcox's sharp cinematography and the shivery score by Wilfred Josephs are up to par. A passable diversion at best.
The merely competent direction by Freddie Francis not only lets the meandering narrative plod along at a sluggish pace, but also crucially fails to generate much in the way of either tension or creepy atmosphere. Worse yet, the paint-by-the-numbers script by Robert Bloch and Anthony Marriott doesn't cut the mustard as a mystery thriller, with the identity of the person behind the whole thing being pretty obvious from the get-go. In addition, the chintzy (far from) special effects leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the sturdy cast keeps this movie watchable: Frank Finlay excels as friendly eccentric bee expert H.W. Manfred, Guy Doleman portrays gruff farmer Ralph Hargrove with delightfully crusty gusto, Catherine Finn likewise adds some vinegar as Hargrove's snippy rundown wife Mary, Kathy Wild exudes a tremendous amount of perky charm as the chipper Doris, and always reliable character actor Michael Ripper makes the most out of his sizable supporting part as amiable bar owner/constable David Hawkins. Both John Wilcox's sharp cinematography and the shivery score by Wilfred Josephs are up to par. A passable diversion at best.