And Soon The Darkness

Latenight 70s chiller about two English girls on a cycling holiday in the French countryside.

Two English nurses go cycling in rural France, and get separated after an argument. As you can probably guess from the midnight movie slot, free-wheeling sunshine and laughter are in short supply. This superlative thriller was a cult obscurity for many years, but recently came out of the shadows after being subjected to a mediocre remake. Watching it again is a reminder that, amongst the oceans of dreck and soft porn, 70s British cinema produced some real gems.

The production was a kind of Avengers reunion, reteaming writer Brian Clemens, director Robert Fuest and composer Laurie Johnson in a sun-drenched location which would seem to offer limited potential for chills. The film is very clever at using the wide-open landscape to generate tension, as well as the language barrier between the cagey locals and our hotpanted heroines, played by Pamela Franklin (The Innocents) and Michele Dotrice (Blood on Satan’s Claw, and of course Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em).