Unearthly Stranger
Unearthly Stranger (1963)
Unearthly Stranger hits the ground running with an immensely dramatic opening, introduces the frankly balmy premise (space travel by the power of thought) and in no time at all, it’s knee deep into government conspiracies and aliens. For something that’s largely talky, largely set in a couple of offices, it does such a grand job of keeping the tension up. It’s one of those films where you kind of think “this shouldn’t work, none of this should work, this should not be as good as it is” but it does work and it is really, really fucking good.
One of my essential British sci fi films and, largely thanks to Patrick Newell’s wonderful performance, an absolute joy of a watch from the off. Not that the rest of the cast don’t hold their own here, they do and with gusto at that. Everyone is so good. John Neville does a great job at delivering portentous lines with serious faces, Gabriella Licudi is a treat as the uncanny wife, Newell breaks, and adds, to the tension regularly adding an even more sinister air to things and Philip Stone is the glue holding it all together. It’s wonderful. Even Jean Marsh gets to join in the fun.
Ahhhh, it’s just brilliant. All of it. A phenomenal bit of sci fi. An all rounder and all timer in the alien conspiracy stakes and one that I’d happily say is up there with Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, yet it’s nowhere near given that credit it deserves. Lovely stuff and ooh, I can’t recommend it enough.