Review of Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971) by Eric B — 22 Nov 2011

"Let's Scare Jessica to Death" certainly isn't the worst horror film I've seen, but it's among the dullest. It's also badly dated by the grainy image quality, terrible score (imagine a non-musician noodling with a synthesizer for the first time) and shaggy male actors.

The positives? An interesting, introspective actress (Zohra Lambert) in the lead role and an unusually ambiguous story -- the events are not adequately explained and leave room for interpretation. Lambert portrays a mentally unstable woman seeking a restful getaway in the country, but it's unclear which of her fears are imagined and which reflect legitimate threats posed by the townspeople.

Depending on your taste, this vagueness could be either provocative or frustrating.