FAQ

The Haunted Airman is based on the novel The Haunting of Toby Jugg (1948) by English author Dennis Wheatley [1897-1977]. The novel was adapted for the screen by film-maker Chris Durlacher, who also directed and produced the movie.

Those who have both seen the movie and read the book say that the movie only loosely follows the book. The plots are similar, focusing on a paralyzed World War II RAF pilot named Toby "The Juggler" Jugg (Robert Pattinson) who is recuperating at a facility in Wales (the book's Llanferdrack Castle was one of the family estates; the movie's Llanferdach is a military convalescent hospital) where he is attended by a mysterious doctor (Helmuth Lisicky in the book; Hal Burns (Julian Sands) in the movie). The biggest difference is that the novel was written to feature satanic and occult influences (Wheatley was a popular writer of both occult-themed novels and nonfiction works on magic and occultism). The movie, however, downplays those aspects. Instead, it becomes a psychological thriller focusing on what may or may not be going on in Toby Jugg's mind.

No exact year is given, but it's in the mid-1940s, evidenced when Toby tells Dr Burns that he "flew my first stop in April, '42, completed my first tour in early '43, then I switched to low-level strategic bombing. That is how I bought it." Since World War II, which ended in May 1945, is still ongoing during the time frame of the movie, a best guess is that the events take place somewhere between late 1943 and early 1945.

In the novel, Julia is married to Toby's uncle Paul Jugg. The movie's Julia (Rachael Stirling) is also Toby's aunt by marriage to Paul Jugg, but she is now a widow (according to what Toby says in the film).

After being betrayed by Sister Grant (Melissa Lloyd), Toby is sedated by Dr Burns and given back his razor. "I trust you to do the right thing," says Dr Burns. Toby falls asleep and dreams of a child who was killed in one of his bombing raids. In his dream, she wants him to know that "it's not so bad here." Toby awakens, climbs out of bed, and crawls down the hall. He sees Julia and Hal kissing each other. Julia comes out into the hall to assure Toby that everything is all right. Toby pulls Julia to the floor and climbs on top of her. Julia pleads with him to get off, but Toby pulls out his razor and slits her throat. He kisses her lips as she bleeds to death. In the background, Dr Burns can be seen watching them.

When Julia showed him how blind people toast each other by touching their hands together while grasping the stems of their glasses, Toby realizes that she must have learned this from Hal, who had earlier demonstrated the same technique to Toby.