The Reptile

1966

1h 30m

Horror

List

71%

7 Reviews

Tomatometer

38%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A Malayan curse turns the daughter (Jacqueline Pearce) of a 19th-century English doctor (Noel Willman) into a snake woman.

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David Bax

Battleship Pretension

The patience and the slow but steady trickle of meaningful information make the movie as much mystery as horror film and the payoff satisfies both genres marvelously.

Aug 14, 2019

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

There's something about the Cornwall setting that brings out the best in Hammer storytelling, as The Plague of the Zombies is one of the finest of all the studio's features while The Reptile also ranks in the upper echelons.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 3, 2019

Full Review

MFB Critics

Monthly Film Bulletin

Altogether, a film of quite some merit.

Feb 8, 2018

Full Review

Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

Rated: 2/5

Oct 22, 2010

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

One of the better Hammer films.

Rated: B

Oct 7, 2008

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Oct 1, 2005

Full Review

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Oscar J

Good flick for streaming! I like those cop mysteries!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/02/23

Full Review

dave s

If nothing else, The Reptile is at least consistent with other Hammer horror movies of the era – a genuinely spooky atmosphere, respectable production values, good performances, and not much in the way of scares. When a young couple movie into a home in a small English village, they find that the locals are more than a little standoffish. It's not long before they begin to realize that something is afoot, that something being a woman who transforms into a snake-like creature and kills the unsuspecting, which seems improbable, town folk. The Reptile is a bit sluggish over the first hour and, as mentioned, it isn't very scary, but it is passable entertainment for those who enjoy this kind of thing.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fun, atmospheric Hammer creature feature. No big surprises, but really nicely done.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Though the snake mask is not that great because of budget cuts, the rest of the movie holds up REALLY WELL. The characters are very likeable and acted well, the whole atmosphere and design is beautiful (which speaks for a lot of the Hammer films of that era) and I love the oldschool horror music, that delivers chills, emotion or panic. If you are into great horror classics with a gothic feel, you have to see this! Jaqueline Pearce was AMAZING in the role, playing this beautiful and sweet woman with a defiant and tortured soul underneath.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The only main problem with this Hammer production is that it's only about 1h 20 minutes long but it feels like it's over 2h. I felt the same way about Plague of the Zombies, which was actually filmed back-to-back with this one, and uses many of the same locations. Hammer films are corny, and this one is, but the reptile make-up is disgusting and creepy as fuck. And the characters are likeable. It's not a classic Hammer horror film, but for devout fans, it's a tasty treat !!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Surprisingly good Hammer Horror film about a small English village being terrorized by a mysterious creature who's killing off the locals, leaving behind only mysterious snake bites. When a new family in town beings investigating the deaths, it's revealed that members of the town have been covering for a girl who became infected by a secret snake tribe on her families last trip to Borneo. The film is directed by John Gilling, who I'm not familiar with, but he brings rich atmosphere to the film and directs some very effective set pieces. I think the main thing this film suffers from is that the story is rather silly, although the script does have an interesting subtext about colonialism.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

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John Gilling

Director

Noel Willman

Dr. Franklyn

Jacqueline Pearce

Anna Franklyn

Jennifer Daniel

Valerie Spalding

Ray Barrett

Harry George Spalding

Michael Ripper

Tom Bailey

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Synopsis

A Malayan curse turns the daughter (Jacqueline Pearce) of a 19th-century English doctor (Noel Willman) into a snake woman.

Director: John Gilling
Screenwriter: Anthony Hinds
Production Co: Hammer Films, Seven Arts Pictures
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 30, 2017
Runtime: 1h 30m