As Scream of Fear progresses, Penny begins seeing her father’s body show up in strange locations. Then she hears her father’s piano playing, and his car mysterious appear in the garage. As Penny experiences the strange occurrences, she begins to question her sanity. Also, did I mention that if her father is actually dead, Penny will inherit his riches, but if something happens to the both of them, Jane gets it all.
The plot is a mystery that Penny needs to solve. As the story plays out, clues regarding her father’s fate are dropped, and at the same time, she is slowly driven to her mental breaking point. Is Penny crazy, or is there something more sinister going on? I suppose as fans of the genre, we know the answer already. Thrillers are not all that different today, but Scream of Fear has the advantage of being one of the first. Today, our mysteries often harken back to the content machine of Hammer Productions and Alfred Hitchcock.
“…you don’t need big Hollywood effects and a big budget to manipulate an audience’s emotions.”
Watching Scream of Fear, sixty years later, I found myself taken in by its low-budget scares and thrills. I’d suggest watching the film on a large screen and in absolute darkness. Presented in black and white, a dark room or theater is the perfect setting. Director Holt makes effective use of darkness, and the initial appearance of Penny’s father is quite frightening. The film’s thrills come from tight shots on Penny, darkened rooms, lights inexplicably turning on and off, and good sound design.
The acting is pretty good. There’s a pulp novel feel to the dialogue, but the interactions between Penny and the rest of the players set the tone perfectly for a mystery. Susan Strasberg just nails the part of the helpless female protagonist, and the big reveal at the end is perfect. And I’ll say this about the plot. It’s full of twists and turns and follows the adage of all mysterious. The most obvious answer is never the answer. You’ll be in for a fun ride, but there’s no way you’re going to solve the film’s true mystery.
If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, then Scream of Fear is a must-see as a reminder that you don’t need big Hollywood effects and a big budget to manipulate an audience’s emotions.
"…a must-see as a reminder that you don't need big Hollywood effects..."
