FILM REVIEW: In The Grip of Terror (2025)

In The Grip of Terror - New Release Review

Director: Lawrie Brewster

Starring: Megan Tremethick, Jonathan Hansler, Laurence R Harvey, Lawrie Brewster, Dorian Todd, Sam Barclay

Written by: Lawrie Brewster

Produced by: Sarah Daly, Lawrie Brewster, Kim McAskill

Cinematography by: Michael Brewster

Synopsis:

Travelers arrive at a mysterious hospital, met by eerie Dr. Graves Inside, unsettling stories unfold, secrets emerge and life and death blur.

Thoughts:

Legendary British genre film studios Amicus Productions returns from the dead with the fun and campy 'In The Grip of Terror', an anthology horror film that pays homage to the studio's classic look and feel just a little too much at times to be really taken too seriously.

Loosely based on the works of US writers H.P Lovecraft and Ambrose Bierce and borrowing the title from a 1950s book of short horror stories, 'In The Grip of Terror' tells the story of a small group of people who become lost in an old, decrepit hospital. But after a meeting with the sinister Dr. Graves (Laurence R. Harvey) they discover that there's more to them than meets the eye.

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This stylish and ambitious throwback to the 1960s and early 70s may be a tough one to get through for some because even though it clocks in at 1 hour 45 minutes long, it feels a lot longer than that. There's an overall story thread containing several individual stories within and the pacing is sadly off. It's got it's fun moments for sure of course and I always appreciate when creatives show their passion on their sleeves, which everyone involved here does in spades. The aesthetic and attention to detail is, for want of a better phrase, to die for.

Megan Tremethick is the stand out, showing a screen presence beyond her years. There's something about the way she looks away from her fellow cast members to consider her own toughts, harking back to the golden age of Hollywood. The rest of the cast are a bit hit and miss. There's a lot of hamming it up going on here and I suppose that is in tune with some of the old Amicus films. Like an unfunny, gothic version of a 'Carry On' film. But there is an attempt at some comedy that, for the most part falls short.

Laurence R. Harvey is suitably creepy as the weird Doctor Graves and writer/director Lawrie Brewster loves to oversell his shock by widening his eyes and covering his mouth in terror. Jonathan Hansler who acts alongside Tremethick in the segment 'The One Way Ward' is also very convincing. Some of the dialogue delivery perhaps could have been better but I'll put that down to the fact that maybe there just wasn't enough time for multiple takes.

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The production design and costumes are fantastic, particularly considering this is a fairly low budget effort, with limited locations and set pieces. And the music goes a long way at keeping scenes suspenseful and intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed the camera work and the old school make-up brought a huge smile to my face. Fair play to everyone involved for what I would consider a successful revival of a classic macabre style.

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️½

-Gavin Logan

'In The Grip of Terror' is available to order on Bluray directly from the Hex Studios Shop at https://www.hexstudios.shop/product-page/in-the-grip-of-terror