Feels like an ep of a TV show. There's an attack on a girl (Lesley Ann Downe) which is a little exploitative but when police investigate (Frank Finlay) it's like the Finlay show, guest starring Suzy Kendall and James Laurenson. We have suspects - a creepy doctor (Laurenson who keeps trying to give Kendall pills), Laurenson's creepy boss, creepy woman who runs the school where Kendall taught and Downe attended, her creepy husband, creepy reporter, creepy other cop who is bodyguard for Kendall.
Kendall glimpses an attacker and says he looked Satanic in read light. Really he should've been Satanic. They probably wanted to make this film classy - not too trashy. But take away sex, nudity, violence (I think it should've been a slasher film instead of a random rape and occasionally kill film) and you just have a police procedural. I think if this had been a slasher/giallo it would've gone gangbusters.
Some decent acting. Kendall is pretty. Lacks Julie Christie X factor. Laurenson is fine. Acting good. Best is the creepy husband of the school owner - he feels up student in one scene (student doesn't seem to mind). Actor is terrific. There's some comatose rape victim acting a la Puppet on a Chain from Downe.
Made at Pinewood for Rank. Executive producer Peter Rogers who did the Carry Ons. Same team went and did Revenge and All the Coppers Are...
David Essex has a small role. Bad back projection for driving scenes. Goes bonkers at the end with Downe being drawn to power lines. Little bit feminisst in that Kendall saves down - then Laurenson saves Kendall. I know they did it for red herring but his behaviour is such that he's a walking red flag.
It is professionally done. Just feels like a procedural with weird bits in it. Like at heart it wanted to be trashier and couldn't go through with it.
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