The Spiral Staircase

Jan 26, 1946

1h 23m

★ 7.0

Conflicts that freeze your emotions! Suspense that takes your breath!

Overview

On a stormy night, the mute servant to an ailing matriarch is stalked by a serial killer.

Genres

Mystery

Thriller

Horror

Production Companies

RKO Radio Pictures

Dore Schary Productions

Vanguard Films

The Spiral Staircase Trailers

Cast

Helen

Dorothy McGuire

Professor Warren

George Brent

Mrs. Warren

Ethel Barrymore

Dr. Parry

Kent Smith

Blanche

Rhonda Fleming

Steve Warren

Gordon Oliver

Mrs. Oates

Elsa Lanchester

Nurse Barker

Sara Allgood

Mr. Oates

Rhys Williams

Constable

James Bell

Dr. Harvey (uncredited)

Erville Alderson

Neighbour (uncredited)

Ellen Corby

Although based on a novel by Georges Simenon, director (and songwriter) Serge Gainsbourg has superimposed several dark emotions and a subtle brutality over the weak plot about a man's trip to Africa and his unfortunate passion for a murderess whose amorality sends the disillusioned fellow back to Europe. Sometimes described as frustrating and self-centered, reactions to this film swing across a broad spectrum of complaints -- not the least might be whether or not Gainsbourg is using a clichéd and stereotypical view of "dark Africa" to convey what he sees in his characters.

5.7

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Jun 9, 1989

A renegade Vulcan with a startling secret hijacks the U.S.S. Enterprise in order to find a mythical planet.

7.4

Jackie Brown

Dec 25, 1997

Jackie Brown is a flight attendant who gets caught in the middle of smuggling cash into the country for her gunrunner boss. When the cops try to use Jackie to get to her boss, she hatches a plan — with help from a bail bondsman — to keep the money for herself.

8.0

The Wages of Fear

Apr 22, 1953

In a run-down South American town, four men are paid to drive trucks loaded with nitroglycerin into the jungle through to the oil field. Friendships are tested and rivalries develop as they embark upon the perilous journey.

6.6

Saw II

Oct 28, 2005

The chilling and relentless Jigsaw killer returns to terrorize the city once again. When a gruesome murder victim emerges with unmistakable traces of Jigsaw's sinister methods, Detective Eric Matthews is thrust into a high-stakes investigation. To his surprise, apprehending Jigsaw seems almost too easy, but what he doesn't realize is that being caught is merely another piece of Jigsaw's intricate puzzle.

7.9

Rebecca

Mar 23, 1940

Story of a young woman who marries a fascinating widower only to find out that she must live in the shadow of his former wife, Rebecca, who died mysteriously several years earlier. The young wife must come to grips with the terrible secret of her handsome, cold husband, Max De Winter. She must also deal with the jealous, obsessed Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, who will not accept her as the mistress of the house.

6.5

Live and Let Die

Jun 27, 1973

James Bond must investigate a mysterious murder case of a British agent in New Orleans. Soon he finds himself up against a gangster boss named Mr. Big.

8.1

2001: A Space Odyssey

Apr 2, 1968

Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.

6.5

War of the Worlds

Jun 28, 2005

Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.

7.8

Anatomy of a Murder

Jul 1, 1959

Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner, who's hiding a dark secret.

7.8

Freaks

Jan 1, 1932

A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.

7.2

Dracula

Feb 12, 1931

British estate agent Renfield travels to Transylvania to meet the mysterious Count Dracula, who is interested in leasing a castle in London. After Dracula enslaves Renfield and drives him to insanity, the pair sail to London together and Dracula, a secret vampire, begins preying on London socialites.

0.0

The Widow in Black

Apr 4, 2017

Simin is a lonely and mentally unstable woman. Her husband has disappeared recently. Now she has to confront men who have put her under pressure. Her mental problems worsen and she gradually loses her connection to reality, so she decides to do some dangerous things.

5.0

Boogeyman

Feb 4, 2005

Every culture has one – the horrible monster fueling young children's nightmares. But for Tim, the Boogeyman still lives in his memories as a creature that devoured his father 16 years ago. Is the Boogeyman real, or did Tim make it up to explain why his father abandoned his family?

6.3

Disclosure

Dec 9, 1994

A computer specialist is sued for sexual harassment by a former lover turned boss who initiated the act forcefully, which threatens both his career and his personal life.

6.4

Derailed

Nov 11, 2005

When two married business executives having an affair are blackmailed by a violent criminal, they are forced to turn the tables on him to save their families.

6.9

Hellraiser

Sep 11, 1987

A hedonistic man finds a mysterious puzzle box that summons a group of gruesome beings known as the Cenobites. These otherworldly entities open the doors to a dominion where pain and pleasure are indivisible.

5.9

The Ice Harvest

Nov 23, 2005

A shady lawyer attempts a Christmas Eve crime, hoping to swindle the local mob out of some money. But his partner, a strip club owner, might have different plans for the cash.

5.7

Dark Water

Jul 8, 2005

Dahlia Williams and her daughter Cecelia move into a rundown apartment on New York's Roosevelt Island. Dahlia is in the midst of divorce proceedings, and the apartment, though near an excellent school for her daughter, is all she can afford. From the time she arrives, there are mysterious occurrences—and there is a constant drip from the ceiling in her daughter's bedroom…