This is combination psychological thriller, film noir, horror...the type of film that Val Lewton was making over at RKO, and if not quite as shocking, equally mesmerizing because of the dark themes. Phyllis Thaxter is possessed by an evil second personality, one that drives her away from her happy family life and into the label of a murderess, killing strictly under the orders of the sinister voice that demands she kill.
While movies in the 1950's forward dealt with the issues of split personality (and detailed on practically every soap opera), this is equally as thrilling even under the label of a B movie (only as glossy MGM could make it), and what a wallop it packs. It flies by in just over an hour, and you won't want to leave your seat, blink, turn away or breathe. That voice is creepy, even if the film thrives on extreme melodrama. Today, you'd get an ice pick murder after violent sex and gratuitous nudity. None of that here, only the story, tidy and neat.
While movies in the 1950's forward dealt with the issues of split personality (and detailed on practically every soap opera), this is equally as thrilling even under the label of a B movie (only as glossy MGM could make it), and what a wallop it packs. It flies by in just over an hour, and you won't want to leave your seat, blink, turn away or breathe. That voice is creepy, even if the film thrives on extreme melodrama. Today, you'd get an ice pick murder after violent sex and gratuitous nudity. None of that here, only the story, tidy and neat.