Quatermass 2

Disappointing sequel to The Quatermass Xperiment sees Brian Donlevy returning in the titular role, but the character has changed. A bulldog in the first film, this script affords Quatermass little agency.

He spends much of the film bewildered, urging others to act versus taking action himself. This may hew closer to writer Nigel Kneale’s vision, but it’s wrong for Donlevy the performer, and the film suffers.

The premise—aliens infecting humans to control the Earth—intrigues, but the incessant shots of Donlevy’s obvious double running across the Shell refinery subbing for an alien base betray the production’s meager budget. Followed by Quatermass and the Pit.