A Psycho inspired Hammer Horror motion picture (a British film production company based in London, founded in 1934) set in the rural British countryside, 1963’s Paranoiac finds a wealthy family in crisis, struck by a long streak of bad luck – parents dying in a plane crash (eleven years ago), eldest brother committing suicide at the age of fifteen (eight years ago), the rest of them struggling to pick up the pieces after these multiple heartbreaking hits.
Written by Jimmy Sangster (loosely based upon the 1949 crime novel Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey) and directed by Freddie Francis (two time Oscar winner for Best Cinematography – Sons and Lovers and Glory), the pair builds mystery upon mystery. With Tony Ashby having committed suicide, Simon Ashby (Oliver Reed) is next in line for the fortune. . . an alcoholic – angry, confused, irrational and frustrated, he constantly spends the money that is supposed to remain in trust. The family lawyer, John Kossett (Maurice Denham), has finally developed a backbone, telling the youth that he will get no more money until he comes of age in three weeks.
Simon’s younger sister, Eleanor (Janette Scott), is a woman in peril. There was a powerful bond between her and Tony, leaving her distraught after his death. Battling with her own psyche, she constantly contemplates suicide in order to join her favourite brother. . . an unfriendly French nurse, Françoise (Liliane Brousse), has been hired by Simon to watch over his sister. Left to look after the young members of their family, cold Aunt Harriet (Sheila Burrell) attempts to hold them together as the sands of time have made this family something less than solid.
Eleanor is further unravelled when she spots a silent young man resembling Tony (Alexander Davion). Feeling like it is a sign for her to join him in death, the mysterious man actually saves her. . . claiming that he is, in fact, her brother. Though Eleanor and the family butler, Williams (John Stuart), believe it to be the long-thought deceased Tony, Simon and Harriet are less sure.
While Kossett investigates the sudden arrival, his son (who is also a lawyer), Keith (John Bonney), suspiciously flits around the periphery, perhaps a player in this sordid tale, in one way or another. As Tony becomes more entrenched in the daily lives of the family (especially Eleanor), some unusual things begin to occur. Tony and Eleanor hear haunting organ music (with accompanying singing from a youthful voice that resembles a young Tony), and, upon investigating, the former is attacked by an assailant wearing a creepy child-like mask – wielding a deadly meat hook. Also, someone is clearly looking to off Tony (and maybe Eleanor too), as they quickly learn that their brakes have been cut while out for a picnic.
And, of course, these individuals are not immune to love. It soon becomes apparent that Simon is sleeping with Françoise, while Eleanor begins to have feelings for Tony (not good for someone struggling with her mental health). What will come of the family and its fortune? Will the Ashby’s survive this more than unusual power struggle? What lies beneath these unfathomable occurrences?
Encompassing elements of Hitchcock, The Phantom of the Opera, Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher and other gothic horror stories, Francis ably handles the cryptic tale, divulging answers only to further fog up the plot by adding another sordid and puzzling problem (skillful shots, camera always placed in the perfect location). A supreme setting for the nasty narrative, the country estate is close to the local town, but is just large enough to be private, a place where no one can hear you scream. Dousing the black and white film with nicely nuanced shadow (cinematography handled by Hammer staple Arthur Grant), it adds to the secrets that are hidden just out of sight, waiting with violently open arms to be discovered.
Featuring richly written characters (that are a tad overacted, though in an entertaining way), Paranoiac perfectly captures the essence of its title, a picture packed with paranoia: obsessions and psychosis haunting a family’s dreams – money, murder and cover-ups just three of their motives. So, uncover the mysteries of the Ashby house, all while discovering whose plans are simply a pipe dream.