Homicidal

A brutal murder unravels lifelong family secrets in a small California town.

Homicidal, while a derivative of Hitchcock’s Psycho, holds up well enough on its own merits.

After a charming little introduction by director William Castle, Homicidal starts with a bang and never really lets up. Castle compensates for the unevenness of his cast by creating a deeply disturbing atmosphere that keeps the audience on edge.

Unfortunately, Homicidal has two problems. The first is that, due to budgetary reasons, many viewers will likely guess the finale’s big twist long before it’s unveiling. Castle does some nice slight of hand, but he’s ultimately undone by his own limitations.

The second problem is Castle’s use of the “Fright Break” gimmick. Granted, he’d become known for these sorts of things after such films as The Tingler and House on Haunted Hill, but Homicidal is a much darker picture than either of those, and the gimmick feels out of place here.

Still, minor flaws aside, Homicidal is a pleasant surprise and worth a look, especially for genre fans.