The first half of this film is pretty good set in a fog drenched London as people look for Havoc, a man who they think was dead who is back and killing people. He was a commando in World War Two who disappeared and was evil. This is all scary and effective, even if because it's a Rank film they keep cutting back to bland Muriel Pavlow as the guy's wife, and Donald Sinden as her fiancee, and some random priest. However there is Havoc's old gang who lurk around the fog, they are good value.
But then when Havoc is revealed, after this great build up, he's played by Tony Wright who is just a bad actor and isn't up to it. Donald Sinden, Michael Craig or Stanley Baker could've played the hell out of it - look even Anthony Steel would've been better than Wright.
Then the film gets bad and its compounded by having the last act in the day in France at this house. They should've kept it all at night all around London. And when Pavlow doesn't remember Wright it's dumb.
They could've cut Sinden's character out of the film, and had a cop become interested in Pavlow.
So many things they should've done. Still, effective moments.
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