The Beast in the Cellar

R

Released Apr 14, 1971

1h 27m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

List

17%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

19%

Audience Score

50+ Ratings

Two spinster sisters attempt to protect the outside world by locking their homicidal brother in the cellar.

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Time Out Staff

Time Out

Familiar stuff with the addition of a bit of nastiness and gore; very average.

Mar 17, 2020

Full Review

Vincent Canby

New York Times

The ladies spend most of their time in the parlor, drinking tea and talking the plot over and out.

Mar 17, 2020

Full Review

Margaret Hinxman

Daily Telegraph (UK)

The chemistry of quality, partially in James Kelly's script and direction and largely in the ladies' performances, transforms the crude shocks into something approaching genuine compassion for lives spent in the grip of memory.

Mar 17, 2020

Full Review

Alan Jones

Radio Times

Quite what induced Beryl Reid and Flora Robson to get involved in such a pointless exercise is a mystery, but they are the only reason for watching this forgettable nonsense.

Rated: 1/5

Mar 17, 2020

Full Review

Dilys Powell

Sunday Times (UK)

Two quiet elderly ladies (Flora Robson and Beryl Reid) and something nasty under the floorboards -- it is a good recipe for a horror film, and The Beast in the Cellar begins teasingly and well; a pity that it should tail off into tame explanations.

Mar 17, 2020

Full Review

TV Guide Staff

TV Guide

The potentially interesting premise is undone by an extremely chatty script.

Rated: 1.5/5

Apr 25, 2012

Full Review

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Love Charlie

Not as bad as many would think, this is a good old fashioned thriller, about the story of two old sisters who live in an isolated house in the Lancashire countryside. A killer either man or beast is murdering members of the local army base and our two old 'dears' may or may not have a secret that can explain these killings. The whole film rests comfortably on the talented shoulders of leading ladies Beryl Reid and Flora Robson who add more than a touch of class to quite a simple, low budget film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/14/22

Full Review

SICKS6SIX

average of 15%. They must have watched another film to me. Kitcsh at its best. Bmagnificent. Her antidotes are years ahead of anyone in 71. The constant nods to the future makes you wonder is this the original dialogue or CGI.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/18/22

Full Review

Demented N

Well Acted but too chatty and gossipy for a horror movie. Could work at a push but it's not a good m1ovie and answers the age old question can big starts save a bad movie and the answer is no but they do add star quality.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

10/09/22

Full Review

jonathan m

5 Star Class Acting, clear speech lots going on only thing is I haven't got a clue what's going on lots. I'll take a guess lots of tea drinking and gossiping with the odd killing. I did feel cheated by the end none the less it was very atmospheric. My theory ... "The Movies makers Joke: Let's get Flora Robson and get Beryl Reed" ... they acutely do get them so they add lots more dynamic dialogue to the script to make up for there simple slash and kill story.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Despite its short comings, this cult horror is quite tense at times. Two sisters keep their mentally disturbed brother locked in a cellar, but he gets out.....

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

anthony p

Several grisly murders of soldiers from a Lancastrian army barracks occur. Grisly injuries caused by a 'human' animal. The film then strangely switches to a large section of dialogue between two ageing and eccentric ladies played by Beryl Reid and Flora Robson. The dialogue switching between village gossip, celery and caffeinated drinks. What connection do they have to the murders except being within the vacinity? The reason becomes clear as the film progresses and the death count increases. The film looks visibly aged (it was made in 1970). Beryl Reid looks like Joan Sims off the Carry On franchise. Robson like a modern day Helen Mirren. The music score is very 1970. The special effects are non-existant. The budget must have been miniscule with very low filming done on location. As the plot unravels one cannot think that they have just wasted 90 minutes of their lives.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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James Kelley

Director

Beryl Reid

Ellie Ballantyne

Flora Robson

Joyce Ballantyne

John Hamill

Alan Marlow

Tessa Wyatt

Nurse Sutherland

T.P. McKenna

Det. Chief Sup. Paddick

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Synopsis

Two spinster sisters attempt to protect the outside world by locking their homicidal brother in the cellar.

Director: James Kelley
Producer: Tony Tenser
Screenwriter: James Kelley
Production Co: Tigon British Film Productions Ltd.
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 14, 1971, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2017
Runtime: 1h 27m

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