Bill Mason is sedated following an eye operation at a London hospital when there is a fantastic night-time meteor shower. He wakes up the next morning to find everyone who witnessed the shower is blind, and the world is quickly slipping into anarchy. To make matters worse, triffids - large, poisonous plants capable of slow, lumbering movement - are spreading like wildfire and attacking the helpless population. After rescuing a young girl who can also see, the two set off across Europe to search for the future.
Scary science-fiction thriller, adapted from a tremendous novel by John Wyndham, has all sorts of terrifying and inventive themes going on; the end of the world, alien invasion, the revolt of nature, the complacency and impotency of mankind - a brilliant story. The movie was not a major production but still does an impressive job of conveying the apocalypse, as Bill wakes up in a creepy deserted London spotted with pathetic figures bumping their way around. Ted Moore's photography is excellent, as are the special effects by Wally Veevers, and there's an ultra-loud score by Ron Goodwin which batters you about the head at all the scary moments. The unusual multicultural cast are good and Keel strikes the right balance of selfish practicality and compassion as Bill. The scenes set on the lighthouse with Scott and Moore were shot after the main production, by an uncredited Freddie Francis, but still work well. They do however commit the film's one main flaw, by deviating from the book and providing a weapon (in this case, sea-water), which kills the monsters. This aside however, this is an exciting and thought-provoking movie, reminding us of man's tenuous position at the top of the food-chain.
Scary science-fiction thriller, adapted from a tremendous novel by John Wyndham, has all sorts of terrifying and inventive themes going on; the end of the world, alien invasion, the revolt of nature, the complacency and impotency of mankind - a brilliant story. The movie was not a major production but still does an impressive job of conveying the apocalypse, as Bill wakes up in a creepy deserted London spotted with pathetic figures bumping their way around. Ted Moore's photography is excellent, as are the special effects by Wally Veevers, and there's an ultra-loud score by Ron Goodwin which batters you about the head at all the scary moments. The unusual multicultural cast are good and Keel strikes the right balance of selfish practicality and compassion as Bill. The scenes set on the lighthouse with Scott and Moore were shot after the main production, by an uncredited Freddie Francis, but still work well. They do however commit the film's one main flaw, by deviating from the book and providing a weapon (in this case, sea-water), which kills the monsters. This aside however, this is an exciting and thought-provoking movie, reminding us of man's tenuous position at the top of the food-chain.