The Sadist (1963)

Shockingly Good, 18 May 2006

I had heard good things about The Sadist, but to be honest, I was skeptical. I haven't seen everything listed on Arch Hall, Jr.'s filmography, but I've been less than impressed with what I have seen. Like a lot of other people, I am shocked by just how good The Sadist truly is. It's a wonderfully sick and twisted tale with tons of suspense and tension. There's an undeniable atmosphere of menace in almost every scene. I might not think much of Arch Hall, Jr., but he's perfect in the role of the crazed Charlie Tibbs. Think of him and his girlfriend as a 60's version of Mickey and Mallory from Natural Born Killers. It's the same kind of ruthless, almost gleeful, lack of respect for human life. It's good stuff and definitely one of the better public domain type films I've run across.

Finally, I'm amazed that this is the only film credit listed for Helen Hovey (Arch's cousin). I thought she played the vulnerable, frightened character quite well. I would have liked to see her in some other movies.

8/10