A wonderful looking film, set principally in a wonderful looking house and a decent cast working hard, perhaps too hard to convince of the awfulness of the situation. A suitor arrives at the family home of his young lady and there is no looking back. This is a most depressing film, with absolutely every character unlikeable. I can't recall a film before when I have so taken against the two principals. She wet and manipulative and he rude and stupid, despite his intellectual and scientific abilities. Actually, towards the end when she goes even more crazy (the clue to her change is the Exorcist like spider walk sequence) she becomes a little more endearing, but not that much. The monster in the attic (who thinks he's invisible) is madly overacted but not quite to the point of becoming fun. Relentless and uncompromising it is nevertheless difficult to enjoy.
