Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

beresfordjd I like Losey's films quite a bit - well The Servant in particular. This film is no Servant . It is a tour de force of overacting, particularly Leo McKern. I don't think I have ever seen such an over the top performance by anyone in anything. It really does him and the film no favours. Michael Redgrave acquits himself quite well but it must have been a thankless task holding on with McKern's histrionics. Ann Todd is the epitome of British middle-class angst and is very annoying for being so. I chose to watch this because it was a Losey film but it disappoints me in every way. It makes very little sense and could have done with much tighter editing and control over the actors' performances.

JETTCO48 Just watched this on Talking Pictures. This channel are doing a great job in bringing us a wide range of "long missing from TV" movies, most of the time in excellent prints.Not sure what to say about this? I think Michael Redgrave is/was one of our greatest actors, but... everyone has there off days, and, in this movie, EVERYONE seems to be having an off day!Losey whips them all up into a frenzy of over acting, particularly Leo McKern & Alec McOwen, and things are not helped by the ridiculously over-wrought musical score, which at times drowns out the dialogue.By the end, I couldn't have cared less who did what to whom,and why,as I was losing the will to live!

vincentlynch-moonoi When a film goes wrong, I find it's often a tossup as to who is to blame - the actors or the director. And what it comes down to, is whether it's one actor not doing a good job, or multiple actors not doing a good job. The former is likely the fault of the actor; the latter is likely the director's fault. In this film, I believer it's the director's fault.Certainly, Michael Redgrave is guilty of serious over-acting in this film. And to top it off, he seems very awkward throughout the film. Bill Williams as Lee CrenshawLeo McKern is also guilty of serious over-acting in this film. Paul Daneman seems terribly awkward, as well.On the acting front, that doesn't mean that every performance is bad. Ann Todd and Peter Cushing do well here.The story itself is decent, although trying to cram everything into a 24 hour time frame seemed awfully unreasonable. A 2-3 day story arc would have worked better and been more realistic.I've never been very impressed with British films from this era (they've gotten very good in recent years). And, I'm not very impressed with this film. It had potential, but the acting and direction ruined it. The one really high point -- a clever ending.

dbdumonteil An unfairly overlooked movie by highly talented Losey.a noir,noir,film,often desperate ;the movie seems governed by the rhythm of the clocks,their infernal ticking (even Big Ben joins in).The ticking obsesses the unfortunate father David ,arriving in England after living in Canada.He has found his son sentenced to death ;and there's only one day left.A race against time begins .The young man seems indifferent at first sight;he resents his father being here ,accusing him of having left him on his own,and he does not feel like living anymore .Should he die tomorrow,he does not care .David knows he would never be able to get over it ;distraught,he begins a difficult investigation (sometimes a bit implausible).A smart but very cruel ending tends to indicate that love is the strongest after all.Time without pity indeed.Well acted by Redgrave and the others