Albert Finney's stunning performance is the reason to see Karel Reisz's tightly wound version of the Emlyn Williams play. Finney plays a diabolic young man who insinuates himself into the household of wealthy widow Mona Washbourne. He's soon her favorite and he soon has her wrapped around his demented finger. Things are further complicated by the fact that Washbourne's nubile daughter Susan Hampshire is smitten with the loony Finney. Deliberately paced but never boring, this film sets a grim tone from the get go and keeps it up throughout. Reisz and Finney produced and there's a creepy music score by Ron Grainer. The great Freddie Francis did the cinematography (his last for sixteen years, during which time he spent directing various horror films). Sheila Hancock plays Finney's pregnant girlfriend.

I saw this film way back when and have vivid recollection of one scene in particular. It may have been the opening scene of the movie. Anyway the scene starts rolling with a general view of the sun shining in a heavily-wooded forest. Amidst from the usual sounds (birds twittering etc.) there's a rhythmic thunk or thud of a man at work. The camera zooms in on the image of Albert Finney standing bare-chested, wielding an axe and chopping up an unseen object. I guess we initially assume he's chopping up wood. But it must have been one of his victims whose severed head ends up in a hat-box in his room. Cannot remember much more than this - other than the general feeling of menace and fear that Finney managed to evoke with his performance as the psychotic killer who terrorises the women of the house.

This black and white 1960s classic of a serial killer is one of the most frightening movies ever made. There are no monsters, masked killers, or nightmare ghouls. What is so utterly terrifying is that the sadistic murder is seemingly the "nicest" guy around. A good-looking, charming and friendly fellow; some 20 years before the horror of Ted Bundy!.Albert Finney gives his most impressive and outstanding performance. He is chilling, lovable, funny, and scary. The opening scene in which Finney is walking in a swamp with a head-less, arm-less, leg-less torso is one of the most shocking and disturbing scenes in film history. Night Must Fall is a really great piece of film-making, but don't see it before night falls! You won't be able to sleep!!!!!!

The remake of the 1937 film was slaughtered both by critics and audience at the time it premiered and there was mainly one reason for it:the crazed fans of Albert Finney were absolutely shocked,as he daringly chose the role of the psychotic ''killer with the angelic face'', following his all-time favorite roles of ''Saturday night and Sunday morning''and, particularly, ''Tom Jones''.As many historians mention, the ''MGM wives'' who were few of the first to see the film, turned violently against the gifted director, Karel Reisz, shouting ''what have you done to that beautiful boy?''!But this is not a serious reason to dismiss an, overall, very good film, which, however, has some serious flaws.The use of music is exaggerated and some times irritating and, only in the first part of the film, Finney doesn't quite know how to tackle with his disturbed character. But the photography is great, Mona Washbourne gives a superb performance and Karel Reisz does a great job, not only updating the old text and bringing it within the ''realism'' of the British Free Cinema movement, but also with his masterful camera movements and his use of editing and abruptly cutting to different scenes, he creates an imposing psychological thriller, where what you don't see is more disturbing than what you do. Being one of the greatest actors EVER, Finney soon finds a convincing attitude for his character and the last part of the film is absolutely brilliant as a whole.It should be re-examined and re-appreciated, that's why it has to come out on VHS and DVD a.s.a.p.! 7.5/10