Night of the Demon (1957)

Does what qualifies as scary to people change over time, do you think? I mean, over a long enough timeline sure: I'm certain neanderthals would never have been able to abide by, for example, our modern-day jet planes or earth-shaking washers and driers. But what about M. R. James? Who wrote ghost stories over a century ago that are still rather blood-chilling to this day? Stories that have been adapted for television and radio many times, but never before for the medium of film? Can such an old film compete for the attention of a modern horror fan? Well, friends, the answer is simple: probably not.

First off, "Casting the Runes" is great, but isn't exactly James's most frightening story. He is a master of the ghost story and yet this isn't a ghost story at all, despite it being quite possibly the most famous story in his canon: it's an occult thriller and a great one at that, and very gripping. But not spooky the way "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" is. That's perhaps why this is the only story of James' that Hollywood has seen fit to adapt for the screen, as it comes off as more of a noir film with horror elements than straight horror classic. Despite the titular demon's early on-screen appearance, there's suspense, espionage, trickery, and deception throughout the story that feels faithful to the original story.

We have an aging lead, a beautiful young woman that's connected to events by blood and decides to join the investigation into the villain, an evil magician that feels like a Hollywood take on Aleister Crowley. It's a talky, character-driven piece, and while it isn't exactly shocking in 2021, it feels sturdy and dependable all the same. Imagine Alfred Hitchcock made a film that served as a prototype for Ringu and you have a pretty good idea of what to expect, provided you remember that in Hitchcock's day, graphic violence and brutally honest thematic content weren't the norm. I wouldn't go so far as to call it essentially a teleplay, thanks to a few solid sequences of action and suspense, but it's within a stone's throw at least.

My only real complaint concerning the film is the obligatory love story involving an aging lead and a young actress that comes entirely out of left-field, but it's not like I haven't seen far worse from this era. It's all pretty safe, but also kind of refreshing thanks to its vintage. It's got clowns, Stonehenge, black magick, and a Godzilla-sized oni coming to violently collect on those who have been cursed. What more can you ask?