The1970s were the decade of the slasher. When one thinks of slashers, they often imagine a knife-wielding masked man chasing after a woman,blood, guts, and a lot of screaming. Watching the hunting, and oftentimes butchering, of victims triggers an adrenaline rush that both alarms and thrills the audience. But sometimes, a slasher will have an even nastier undercurrent, one that unnerves rather than simply startling. In 1974,Pete WalkerreleasedFrightmare, also known asCover Up, orOnce Upon a Frightmare, which soongained a reputation as the BritishTexas Chain Saw Massacre.Amidst all themurder and cannibalism, the twisted portrait of the Yates family manages to be the creepiest aspect ofFrightmare.
Sheila Keith is a Terrifying Cannibal and the Undeniable Star of ‘Frightmare’
Fans of British horror from the ‘60s and ‘70s don’t need to be told whoSheila Keithis. For those not in the know,Keith was an absolute icon in the horror scene, but notas a scream queen. Keith instead preferred to appearas the wicked villain. A frequent collaborator of director Walker, Keith is still best known for stealing the show in several of his cult classics. InFrightmare,Keith plays Dorothy Yates, a woman recently released from a mental institution where she was held for having killed and eaten at least six people. Edmund, played byRupert Davies, was imprisoned alongside his wife. Now out and living as “rehabilitated” in their farmhouse, Dorothy and Edmund are attended to by Jackie (Deborah Fairfax). Jackie is Edmund’s daughter and Dorothy’s step-daughter. She visits the couple at night, bringing them their dinners cooked extra-rare. At the same time, Jackie is rapidly struggling to control her teenage step-sister, Debbie (Kim Butcher). Unfortunately for everyone, Debbie takes after her mother.
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Unforgettably evil…
Dorothy is the undisputed villain ofFrightmare.Keith plays Dorothy with such sadistic glee that it’s impossible to look away anytime she’s on-screen.Fans lovea villain who lovesto be a villain, and Dorothy Yates isthrilledto be unleashing blood-soaked mayhem. There is a real sense of whimsy to Keith’s performance. And yet, Keith’s clear understanding of Dorothy prevents the character from tipping into cartoonish territory. There is a real eeriness to her — she isdangerous, an actual threat, and not just because of the horror she can wreak. Much ofFrightmareis a family drama, with the first hour or so concerned with Jackie and her struggles to manage her unhinged family. Dorothy is at her most frightening not when she’s wielding her drill, but when she runs the risk of being a corrupting influence on Debbie.
Family is Actually the Scariest Part of ‘Frightmare’
Today, cannibalism isn’t just a gnarly theme in horror, but a metaphor that’s leaking out into other genres. In 2022,Luca Guadagnino’s wildly successfulBones and Allwas classified as a romance first and a horror second.But in ’74, cannibalism was a more shocking inclusion.To further ratchet up the stakes, Walker uses Debbie’s storyline to sprinkle in more recognizable sources of anxiety for the general viewing public. Commonplace violence, biker gangs, and uncontrollable teenagers are given nearly as much weight as animal brains, murder, and cannibalism. And still, none of these elements are the most distressing part ofFrightmare.
Slow-burn family drama deepens the unease of watchingFrightmare.From the complicated devotion of Dorothy and Edmund’s marriage, to the miserable responsibility Jackie feels for them and Debbie, to Debbie’s endless yearning for her parents,Frightmareweaves an awfully tangled web. Everyone is miserable, but no one is willing to walk away. Throw in the blood and guts of a slasher, and the family drama ratchets up gut-punching horror.The co-dependent snarl ofthe Yates familyis easily the most disturbing aspect ofFrightmare.Jackie’s inability to sever herself from her parents is frustrating and sad, but deeply human. It’s the greatest tragedy of the film, a struggle that spans the entire runtime. Thanks to this ongoing tension, the ending ofFrightmaretriggers a skin-crawling distress that will last long after the credits roll.
More often than not,Frightmareis a horror movie that’s been forgotten. When itisremembered, it’s often compared toThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre.Two slashers released the same year with a cannibalistic tinge to up the ante. It’s hard not to see similarities.Rather than holding them up side-by-side, however, it’s more fruitful to say if you liked one, you’ll probably like the other. For those who yearned for more of the family at the expense of Sally and her friends inThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre,thenFrightmareis going to delight.
Frightmare
