An iconic 1970s horror film dubbed “haunting” is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, Don’t Look Now follows husband and wife John (Sutherland) and Laura Baxter (Christie) who move to Venice following the death of their child.
While there, Laura meets Heather (Hilary Mason), who claims she is psychic and can communicate with their late daughter, Christine. John is sceptical, but begins seeing visions of a child that bears a striking resemblance to Christine around the city.
The film, directed by Nicolas Roeg, has been highly praised for its supernatural themes as well as its exploration of grief and child loss, and over the decades, it has become one of the most influential British horror films.
It also caused outrage at the time of its release due to a graphic sex scene between Christie and Sutherland’s characters, which was cut by the BBC when the film first premiered on TV.
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The film currently holds a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus reading: “Don’t Look Now patiently builds suspense with haunting imagery and a chilling score – causing viewers to feel Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie’s grief deep within.”
The Dissolve said in its review: “The film isn’t easy to classify – it’s a psychodrama that occasionally sharpens into blood-curdling horror – but the experience of watching it is deeply unsettling.”
Rolling Stone said one particular moment will “fry your nerves”, while Chicago Reader called Don’t Look Now “a frightening and consistently inventive horror story”.
The Times wrote: “This haunting thriller and study of the psychology of grief is one of the most accomplished, and most troubling, films by the British director Nicolas Roeg.”
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Back in 2015, lead star Sutherland criticised potential remake plans for Don’t Look Now as “just people wanting profit”.
“Don’t embarrass yourselves by making it. Don’t embarrass yourselves by participating in it. It’s bullshit,” he told Metro.
“It was a piece of work indelibly written by Nicolas Roeg… Don’t bother doing [remaking it]. Why do they do it? It’s just people wanting profit, trying to profit off the back of Nicolas Roeg, and something that’s very beautiful. It’s shameful. They should be ashamed of themselves.”
Don’t Look Now is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy
Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more.
Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club.
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