The greatest movie ever made..!

Lack of good storyline.

The first must-see film of the year.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

A critical failure at the time of its release and considered something of a let-down for its director and star, (it was certainly an odd choice of material), this 1964 film version of Emlyn Williams' play, (it was written in 1935 and filmed two years later with Robert Montgomery), is nowhere near as bad as people say. It's the one about the young psychopath, (a terrific Albert Finney), who worms his way into the affections of elderly invalid Mona Washbourne, (superb), and her initially stand-offish daughter, (an excellent Susan Hampshire). The problem is that in attempting to get to the psychological heart of the piece director Karl Reisz drains it of all suspense and Clive Exton's screenplay, (I haven't seen or read the original play), is a bit on the dull side. But neither is it a disaster and I have never understood why it disappeared so soon after its initial appearance.

I saw this film way back when and have vivid recollection of one scene in particular. It may have been the opening scene of the movie. Anyway the scene starts rolling with a general view of the sun shining in a heavily-wooded forest. Amidst from the usual sounds (birds twittering etc.) there's a rhythmic thunk or thud of a man at work. The camera zooms in on the image of Albert Finney standing bare-chested, wielding an axe and chopping up an unseen object. I guess we initially assume he's chopping up wood. But it must have been one of his victims whose severed head ends up in a hat-box in his room. Cannot remember much more than this - other than the general feeling of menace and fear that Finney managed to evoke with his performance as the psychotic killer who terrorises the women of the house.

Emlyn Williams would never recognize what the British have done to his play about a psychotic killer, recycled from the 1937 film that starred ROBERT MONTGOMERY, ROSALIND RUSSELL and DAME MAY Witty.What is supposed to be a tense household situation that slowly builds to a horrific climax, is treated like a stylish drawing room drama with modern British sensibilities that takes time establishing any of the characters. Only gradually does ALBERT FINNEY get under the skin of his character, the cheerfully casual Danny who charms the wheelchair-bound mistress of a secluded British household in the country. But unfortunately, he's even more theatrical in the role than Robert Montgomery was in the original, and that's saying something.In fact, the whole treatment here is more obvious than it should be. The glimpse we do get of Finney's inner torment is almost laughable, accompanied by discordant chords of frantic music on the soundtrack.His flawed performance is the centerpiece of the melodrama and weakens the film, just as Robert Montgomery's did in the '37 version. By comparison, this film opens things up a bit more and is less stagey than that earlier film in which Dame May Witty stole the show.MONA WASHBOURNE does nicely in the Dame May Witty role and the other players are competent enough, but the camera is almost always on Finney in his pivotal role. Finney and that elusive hatbox hiding a head.Chilling idea is less than chilling in the way it's executed here. The story is more of a tease than anything else. Would love to see what Hitchcock would have done with this material.Sadly, for too much of its running time it manages to be boring.

This black and white 1960s classic of a serial killer is one of the most frightening movies ever made. There are no monsters, masked killers, or nightmare ghouls. What is so utterly terrifying is that the sadistic murder is seemingly the "nicest" guy around. A good-looking, charming and friendly fellow; some 20 years before the horror of Ted Bundy!.Albert Finney gives his most impressive and outstanding performance. He is chilling, lovable, funny, and scary. The opening scene in which Finney is walking in a swamp with a head-less, arm-less, leg-less torso is one of the most shocking and disturbing scenes in film history. Night Must Fall is a really great piece of film-making, but don't see it before night falls! You won't be able to sleep!!!!!!