Patrick

This is a real surprise. I only heard of this film through the OZ documentary, 'Not Hollywood' and picked it up for pence, but it is very good indeed.

Susan Penhaligon has a lot to do in the lead role as she struggles to communicate with the 'dead' hospital patient, Patrick.

Some real suspense, a little nudity and gore but excellent dialogue and a throbbing storyline that maintains a strong interest throughout.

Robert Thompson is the poor guy who has to play dead or near dead through the whole film but does a really good job and those eyes, even to the end. Great stuff!

The later 70's saw a handful of films about people with psychic powers, but this little-known thriller from Australia may just be the most unique of them all.

Nurse comes under the spell of her seemingly comatose patient, whose intense psychic powers are menacing the people around her.

Patrick is a bizarre, yet oddly moving film that benefits strongly from its off-beat and ultimately unpredictable story. It's a tale that manages to side-step clichés to become not only a brooding chiller, but a weird love story as well. There's an occasional good bit of suspense and shock that keeps the tension high. The story also possesses a strange sense of the erotic. Granted, the plot is a bit slow in pace but Richard Franklin's direction and a good cast help to carry it well.

Star Susan Penhaligon does a throughly good performance as the films heroine/victim. Rod Mulliner is good as Penhaligon's troubled husband, as is Bruce Barry as her boyfriend. Robert Thompson is also a stand-out as the films menacing title character. Even though Thompson spends most of the film lying in silence he still conveys a threatening presence, he's just that good of an actor.

For those seeking a left-field thriller that's thoughtfully well done, Patrick may just be your date.

*** 1/2 out of ****

"Patrick" of 1978 is a slow-paced yet effective and weird little Austalian Horror film, that often seems like a drama more than a supernatural thriller. It is not an easy film to rate, but it sure was something completely different than I had expected before I first saw this. While I had expected to see a blood-soaked slasher, "Patrick" turned out to be a quite calm and slow-paced, but nonetheless eerie Thriller with a surprisingly elaborate plot...

Kathy (Susan Penhaligon), a young nurse who lives separated from her husband, finds a job in a mental hospital. As usual for new nurses, Kathy is assigned to care for Patrick (Robert Thompson), a sinister young comatose patient with an unholy past. While Patrick's only activity is his occasional spitting, the comatose man seems strangely alive...

While the film will probably not keep you on the edge of your chair in fear from the beginning to the end, it certainly delivers a certain tense and eerie atmosphere. This is not your film if you're looking for tons of blood and gore. To my surprise, "Patrick" was almost gore-less. Nevertheless, this film is definitely worth watching, both for its original storyline, and its eerie mood. The acting performances are good, though in no way outstanding. While Susan Penhaligon fits well in her role, I can't say that her performance impressed me. Robert Halperman and Julie Blake are very convincing in their roles, and even though the role may not call for the greatest acting skills, I must say that Robert Thompson was genuinely creepy as the eponymous character. There are two different scores for this version, one by Brian May for the Australian version, and one by Goblin for the European version. Even though European, my DVD (unfortunately) contains the Brian May score. Unfortunately, since as a hardcore fan of Italian Horror, Goblin-scores have become some of my favorite film soundtracks (and some of my favorite music to listen to). I will happily watch the movie again with the Goblin score, however.

"Patrick" may be a bit too slow-paced at times. Especially the strong focus on Kathy's private troubles is a bit superfluous. Nevertheless, this is an interesting little Horror film that true genre-fans will not regret watching. Especially recommendable for the eerie atmosphere! 6/10

I think that some commentators expected far too much from this movie. For a "no-budget" film, you can't expect great special effects. Look at how much "Twilight Zone" achieved on a tiny budget; what a caning it got from "the critics", and then look at its popular success.

I see much the same here. After all, the only "special effect" really required was the typewriter typing all by itself! Weird it is - but then it's supposed to be. And slow, too: isn't that the whole point of a "suspense" movie?

In my opinion, it builds on its initial premise (the development of "mental" powers when physical ones don't exist) reasonably well, and achieves its objectives quite well. It's not "Star Wars" or even "Sixth Sense", but it never intended to be.

I remember seeing ads on TV for 'Patrick' back in the 1970s, but for some reason I never actually watched it until I recently rented it on DVD. I expected it to be laughably bad, but instead I was pleasantly surprised. It's a reasonably effective thriller, with a few excellent scenes. Director Richard Franklin obviously has a Hitchcock fetish, he later went on to direct the better-than-you-think 'Psycho 2'. I believe the American DVD has a commentary from Franklin, but the Australian one I watched doesn't. But you don't need him to point out the Hitchcock homages throughout. Okay, 'Patrick' isn't perfect. It's made on a very low budget, and the effects are nothing to write home about, but the script and acting aren't too bad. I do agree that Robert Thompson who plays Patrick isn't very convincing. Better casting could have improved the movie a lot. However Susan Penhaligon is good, and pretty cute to boot.