This movie is obviously very low budget and the writing and cinematography leave a lot to be desired. The script isn't very focussed and nor is the film particularly nice to look at. Although the visual style had some thought put into it, it needed better cameras and a better cinematographer. There's some nice editing here and there but also a few places where it needed work, most notably when it jumps between 2 very different conversations that aren't linked to each other. Regardless, there's still some stuff to appreciate here.
The creepy music and slow buildup creates a mysterious atmosphere that tickles ones curiosity to find out what's happening. There's even a moment where Galico and Keel are preparing to investigate a house and a cat jumps off the wall behind them. I think it was a lucky accident rather than a deliberate part of the movie because its presence is never brought up. Fortunately, due to cats' reputations of being involved with the supernatural, it helps the strange atmosphere.
Colin Baker and Carol Anne Ford are great actors while Wendy Padbury bounces off Baker very nicely, despite not being on his level. The movie's worth watching just to see these 3 outside of Doctor Who. Ford in particular is barely recognisable from her Doctor Who days and not just because she's significantly older. She has a more confident and commanding presence than she ever did as Susan but the movie wasted her. Baker is given more to do, managing to elevate the movie through his charisma and charming banter with Padbury but isn't given an interesting character to work with.
Erich Redman is great as Ryle, a close minded man who refuses to accept the presence of the supernatural. He could have easily come across as completely unsympathetic, especially due to his concerns about his reputation, but there is a moment where Redman manages to add a bit of depth by sounding concerned for his colleague as he runs towards a presumably horrific fate. Unfortunately, the film completely forgets about Ryle as it approaches the end of the story. A big issue is that there are no character arcs, not even for the one guy who has a good set up for one.
Because of the lack of focus and rather clumsy dialogue in the script, the film's ending is pretty weak. While the sound and atmosphere creates a satisfying illusion of buildup, the writing doesn't really support that illusion which leads to an unsatisfying conclusion. Nonetheless, I won't spoil what that conclusion is.
Unfortunately, this isn't a good movie. It has good moments, a solid use of music to create tension and a few strong performances. However good acting and good sound can't make up for a bad script and unappealing visuals. I'll give this a 4 out of 10, which upsets me because I really like Colin Baker as an actor. The man has the uncommon ability to elevate the projects he works on through sheer charisma but those projects tend to be low budget trash unworthy of his skills.
