Paranoiac (1963)

70% of users liked it
(345 ratings)

A woman must contend with her family's madness as she finds her own sanity in doubt in this thriller from British horror masters Hammer Films. After the death of her parents, Eleanor Ashby (Janette Scott) would seem a safe bet to inherit their estate, but at the funeral, she's convinced that she has… More A woman must contend with her family's madness as she finds her own sanity in doubt in this thriller from British horror masters Hammer Films. After the death of her parents, Eleanor Ashby (Janette Scott) would seem a safe bet to inherit their estate, but at the funeral, she's convinced that she has seen Tony (Alexander Davion), her brother who killed himself seven years ago. Eleanor's other sibling Simon (Oliver Reed), who is inarguably alive, uses this as an excuse to contest the will, arguing that Eleanor is mentally unstable and an unfit heir. Simon's claims cause Eleanor to wonder about her sanity, and in a moment of weakness she attempts suicide. Tony rescues her and tells her that he never died but simply went into hiding. He returns to the family's mansion, but soon he and Eleanor become the subject of a number of violent attacks by a masked lunatic before Eleanor learns a surprising secret about Tony. Paranoiac marked the directorial debut of ace cinematographer Freddie Francis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Freddie Francis
Written By: Jimmy Sangster
Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: May 15, 1963 Wide
On DVD: Jul 11, 1995

Critic Reviews

Staci Layne Wilson, Horror.com
Paranoiac borders on camp with its over-the-top plot and stratospheric broadcasting.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Mesmo procurando recriar o impacto de Psicose, as várias reviravoltas deste filme mantém o espectador sempre surpreso, e o clima de tensão é eficaz. Infelizmente, a conclusão (ao contrário do clássico de Hitchcock) deixa um pouco a desejar.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Bruce B

This one is as good as any Hitchcock film out there, and unlike any other hammer film I have ever seen, No real horror here just a twisted suspense drama. All parties play an outstanding part. About a family whose youngest brother returns from the dead in real life, 6 days before… More
This one is as good as any Hitchcock film out there, and unlike any other hammer film I have ever seen, No real horror here just a twisted suspense drama. All parties play an outstanding part. About a family whose youngest brother returns from the dead in real life, 6 days before estate inheritance, if I tell you anymore it will give best parts away. My first 5 star black & white film.
Michael G

From what I've seen to this point, there seem to be two different types of Hammer films. You've got the colorful atmospheric gothic-styled monster movies then you've got the more drab black and white psychological suspense types. I'll openly admit to liking the… More
From what I've seen to this point, there seem to be two different types of Hammer films. You've got the colorful atmospheric gothic-styled monster movies then you've got the more drab black and white psychological suspense types. I'll openly admit to liking the former better but every once in a while I run into one that kind of questions my preference. Paranoiac didn't make me question my allegiance. Its certainly not an awful movie by any means, it just shouldn't be one of the first Hammer movies you see. Freddie Francis' direction was pretty good (the climax was particularly well done) and the acting for the most part was pretty good with Oliver Reed doing an excellent job at playing an absolute asshole. Paranoiac isn't a bad movie to have under your Hammer belt provided you've seen at least 10 with Christopher Lee and/or Peter Cushing first.