And Soon the Darkness

Hitchcock must have been both proud and wary of the young British director Robert Fuest's work on And Soon the Darkness (1970). This is easily one of the most suspenseful and terrifying films I've ever seen. And it's pulled off without a drop of blood, a single scene of gore, and just one little jump-scare. In fact, there's hardly any violence in this film to speak of. Instead, Fuest carries through with the roots of the thriller genre, pulling away from visceral violence and gore, and instead turning the dread, terror, and paranoia to a fever pitch with the artful use of music and camera work.

The film starts out at a leisurely pace, fitting for a leisurely biking holiday through France for two British tourists. The girls dine at an outdoor cafe and then spend the morning pedaling down the back roads of the vast French farmland. A mid-morning rest in the woods by the road leads to a little fight, and the girls split up as Jane decides to carry on and Cathy stays to rest. In the next village over, Jane finds glimpses that all is not quite so right with the idyllic French countryside. A young Dutch tourist had been murdered on the same stretch of road the year before, and the crime remained unsolved. Feeling spooked, Jane returns to the woods to find Cathy is, you guessed it, missing.

The search for Cathy begins in earnest, with Jane finding help from the mysterious Paul, who may or may not have been following the girls all morning and who may not be who he claims to be. Red herrings abound, as it seems that everyone around knows more than they're telling. Everyone's a suspect, and the atmosphere of paranoia is thick. The viewer is also left disoriented by unsubtitled conversations in French. You will probably guess the murderer's identity a few minutes before the reveal, but up until then, you will be completely in the dark.

This film is a real gem. A superb thriller by a British director NOT named Hitchcock.

The Reverend says: 10/10.