One of those films that rarely gets mentioned, A REFLECTION OF FEAR (1972) is a slow-burning psychological horror story with a maximum of creepy scenes. It stars a young Sondra Locke - best known for her Eastwood thrillers - as a maladjusted and mentally ill young woman who gets reunited with her estranged father, only for calamity to arise. This felt to me like a cross between Hammer's psycho-thrillers and the likes of WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, so if you're in the mood for slow-building mood and a thorough exploration of warped psychology, this is the place.
The film belongs to Locke, who has never between creepier and more unsettling than she is here, with the great Robert Shaw in support playing her dad. The first part is nicely done and builds to a shocking set-piece, while the second part is a little slower, almost tedious at times, eventually leading to a genuinely surprising twist ending. The second half takes the edge off the first but for me this is still worth a look, with some unsettling hinted-at incestuous moments taking it to the edge.
The film belongs to Locke, who has never between creepier and more unsettling than she is here, with the great Robert Shaw in support playing her dad. The first part is nicely done and builds to a shocking set-piece, while the second part is a little slower, almost tedious at times, eventually leading to a genuinely surprising twist ending. The second half takes the edge off the first but for me this is still worth a look, with some unsettling hinted-at incestuous moments taking it to the edge.