Immediately upon finishing his wonderfully creepy film "The Plague of the Zombies" (1966), Hammer Studios director John Gilling began making "The Reptile," using the sames sets and the same Victorian Cornwall setting. And, thankfully, one of the same actresses: Jacqueline Pearce. Pearce had made a terrifically frightening zombie in that earlier picture, and was here cast as the daughter of a theology professor, who is turned by the Snake People of Borneo into one of their own as a vengeance for her father's snooping... This is actually a quite literate little picture, with fine direction, good-looking sets and exteriors, and solid acting. Like "Plague," it features some shocking moments, a good deal of sustained suspense, and characters who are likable and appealing. We do not get to see the snake creature that Pearce becomes overly much, but that was fine by me. Pearce is a remarkably beautiful and talented performer, and every frame that she is in is spellbinding. Her unique face is equally suited to inducing sympathy or chills; in that respect, she is reminiscent of the great "Queen of Horror," Barbara Steele. I guarantee all IMDb viewers that if they watch these two films (preferably back to back, for one superbly well-matched double feature), they will become instant fans of Jacqueline Pearce, and will want to see more of her work. Despite some unanswered questions and a somewhat weak finale (again, similar to "Plague of the Zombies"), "The Reptile" is a solid horror movie, and still another winner from the House of Hammer.
Review of The Reptile
