For such a conspicuous and interesting story it is a pity the film lacks suspense for the paranoia it seeks to create. Instead we have a mystery play which achieves satisfying atmosphere but is prosaic. Viewers will gain a nostalgic view of London but the production suffers its low budget and a soundtrack out of kilter. What rescues the film somewhat is Roger Moore's performance in a dual role, and surely his best character performance on film. He single handedly holds the film together in the third act.

I've never been a big fan of Mr Moore, he's played himself in just about everything bar this great slice of 70's cinema. I actually saw this in a cinema back in the day and loved it so much so that whenever it crops up on TV I still watch it. He actually acts in this other than being the Saint in everything else.The melt down of his original character as the doppelganger appears to take over his life shows that Mr Moore could act if he wanted to. It was also interesting to see how empty the elevated section of the M4 looked, if it were filmed now there would probably be a traffic jam.Ignore the negative reviews, of course it would have better production values today but the story is solid and grips the audience. An interesting concept which has been redone many times since but this is one of the originals, I recommend it.

I'll begin by saying I'm a Basil Dearden film, and watched this primarily because he directed it. Overall, it is an entertaining film that offers a glimpse of a long-gone world, and of a style of filmmaking that also disappeared with the late 1960s and early 1970s.I won't summarize the plot since many others already have, but it turns on the initially uncanny and increasingly creepy appearance of Harold Pelham's (Roger Moore, in one of his best performances) Doppelgänger, though like Pelham himself we don't actually see this double until very late in the film. His strange presence, however, is apparent from the moment early on when Pelham briefly dies on the operating table, only to revive temporarily with two heartbeats.My two criticisms, beyond the annoyingly busy score, hinge on the confusing moment at the film's opening when the Doppelgänger seems to overtake the original Pelham, leading to the first accident (or does he?), and on the melodramatic ending, which probably could have been strengthened by jump-cutting straight from the crash through the bridge balustrade to Pelham, one of the two, walking back through the door of his home, without us seeing which one, the original or the double, it was. In general, though, I recommend the film, and despite its flaws, it is quite entertaining and a metaphysical and psychological thriller. If it is ever remade, it'll have to be updated for the 21st century, but if done right and not Hollywoodized, it could work well. (It would be interesting to compare this original and a remake to the 2013 Canadian film The Enemy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, which is based on Nobel Laureate Jose Saramago's 2004 novel The Double.)

Some twenty or so years have passed since I originally saw this film, which, at the time I found to be very though-provoking, so it was with a mixture of interest and skepticism that I ordered it from Lovefilm. Happily, I was not disappointed. This is, without doubt, Moore's finest acting role and he delights with his use of facial expression; to me it shows that there is a lot more to his acting skills than the rather one-dimensional parts he spent most of his career playing e.g. The Saint, Brett Sinclair and Bond. Of course, this is dated, as it was filmed in 1970, however most people - myself included - have a fond affection for this period. Good support from some stalwart actors, including Anton Rogers and Hildegard Neil make this a satisfying experience. In my opinion, this story would merit a re-make by a director such as Christopher Nolan.NB One of the spookiest things about this film is that the director - Basil Dearden - was tragically killed in a car accident shortly after it was completed, in the exact stretch of road used in the film. This only serves to add to the mystery of this film but may put any superstitious directors off attempting a re-make. My recommendation is to watch this late at night with the lights off... Enjoy!