Just perfect...

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

What if your apartment building was the gateway to Hell and you were in its sights? That's the question that supermodel Allison Parker wants to know in this underrated supernatural thriller.The film mixes the supernatural elements of its source material quite well as the viewer is not entirely sure if Allison is actually seeing things that are there or if she is going insane. We see exactly what she sees like her creepy neighbors and we're just as sure as Allison that all parties in her apartment complex are real like Allison is. When the film's first big twist is revealed midway through the film, it's truly shocking that makes the viewer close to certain that Allison might actually be insane. However when the final plot twist kicks in, it completely changes what we already saw throughout the movie and the prior knowledge given. The casting is quite a diverse one; featuring a hodge-podge of "before they were famous" and "classic Hollywood" names. Playing Allison Parker is the pretty Cristina Raines, herself a model, bringing a naivety to the role. You feel bad for Raines as her character descends into despair as she believes her mind is playing tricks on her. Raines admitted in interviews at the time of release that she wasn't exactly acting as the filming process reduced her to tears nearly every day (it does show at times during the film that it might've been a bad day for Cristina Raines). Sharing an equally trying experience of filming the picture and delivering a slightly unsettling performance as Allison Parker's lover, Michael Lerman is Chris Sarandon. Playing such a sketchy character gives Sarandon an opportunity to be at times trustworthy, but also highly suspicious as we are never sure if Michael is on Allison's side or if he believes she is crazy.By the film's close, most of our suspicions of Michael are cleared, but there is one last surprise dropped on us about his true motivations for helping Allison and its not to be taken lightly. Lending their talents to the diverse cast are the likes of Hollywood beauty Ava Gardner as the shady realtor, Burgess Meredith as Allison's creepy neighbor Charles Chazen, Christopher Walken and Eli Wallach as police detectives investigating the strange events surrounding Allison's claims about her residence and John Carradine as the mysterious priest who holds the key to Allison's dilemma.Give this little gem a view and you'll be surprised by how good the film is.

Super fun film - very creepy. I quite enjoyed again after years of "no see". The Sentinel or The Messenger in this one is our John Carradine - you won't see him very much in this film because it builds the suspense toward the ending. I think back in 1977 the ending (to actually see Carradine fully) would have come as a surprise to theater goers - these days with internet you can see photos of Carradine as The Sentinel so it will come as no surprise as it would have back in the 70s.The film is full of a great cast - big names in this one and not just John Carradine. Cristina Raines, Ava Gardner, Burgess Meredith, Christopher Walken, Beverly D'Angelo, Jeff Goldblum and more! If you like films like The Amityville Horror, Burnt Offerings, The Legacy or The Changeling then you might like The Sentinel - it's a good film for a late night movie.8.5/10

Michael Winner's post-Death Wish output is often lambasted for being sensationalist and exploitative trash; for me, that's precisely why his films prove so enjoyable. The Sentinel, Winner's 1977 supernatural shocker, is no exception: it's a schlocky slice of religious themed horror that takes its cues from superior horror hits Rosemary's Baby (1968), The Exorcist (1973) and The Omen (1976), delivering wonderfully eccentric characters, sexual perversity, graphic gore and, in the film's jaw-dropping finale, a whole crowd of real-life freaks and disabled extras as the denizens of hell. It's easy to see how some might be offended, and it's not hard to understand why many would dismiss it as tawdry garbage, but I found it hugely entertaining.Cristina Raines stars as emotionally fragile model Alison Parker, who moves into an apartment where her new neighbours' bizarre behaviour begins to concern her, leading her to confront her landlord, who informs her that, apart from the blind priest on the top floor, she is the only tenant! It eventually transpires that the building is a doorway to hell, the other tenants are demons, and that Alison is destined to become a 'sentinel', whose job it is to guard the hellish portal.It's derivative stuff, for sure, but Winner's whacked out script keeps matters interesting: if anything, the film has got to be worth a go for the unforgettable scene where Alison meets her freaky lesbian 'neighbours' (one of whom gives herself an orgasm in front of her uncomfortable guest), and the truly bizarre birthday bash thrown for a pet cat (he looks so cute in his party hat). The Sentinel also benefits from a remarkable line-up of talent, the incredible cast including established performers Burgess Meredith, Eli Wallach, John Carradine, Ava Gardner, Martin Balsam, as well as up and coming stars Tom Berenger, Jeff Goldblum, Beverly D'Angelo and Richard Dreyfuss, while the excellent make-up effects are by none other than industry legend Dick Smith.7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

A model (Cristina Raines) moves into an apartment building where strange things occur and her odd neighbors are not what they seem. An interesting, but flawed, horror movie that peddles in weirdness just for the sake of weirdness. Pretty Cristina Raines is fine but does nothing to rise above the material. Mustachioed Chris Sarandon plays her boyfriend and it's pretty hard to take him seriously looking like a guy who belongs at Studio 54. The supporting cast helps the movie out greatly. Screen vets Ava Gardner, John Carradine, Burgess Meredith, Eli Wallach, Martin Balsam and Arthur Kennedy are all fantastic. Also early roles for Christopher Walken, Jerry Orbach, Jeff Goldblum, and Beverly D'Angelo. In the "blink and you'll miss them" category, there's Richard Dreyfuss and Tom Berenger. A packed lineup for a movie like this. It's not a great horror film. It's not scary and is seldom suspenseful. But there is something undeniably curious about it. The controversial climax may repulse sensitive types.