This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The acting in this movie is really good.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Christopher Lee fans may be a little disappointed by the use of their idol in this Hammer movie; he only has about three short scenes in total. But if they can get beyond the lack of Lee, they will probably find the rest of the movie to be pretty entertaining. Now, I will admit that the script has some notable flaws, which are especially apparent when you watch the movie for a second time. For example, why one character dives into a swimming pool to look for a body eventually doesn't make sense, nor how the found body soon after finds its way into the car without the heroine noticing. Such flaws as those do diminish the impact of the movie, along with the somewhat slow pace and somewhat "soft" feel of the entire enterprise. But patient viewers who look behind those flaws will be rewarded by some decent twists toward the end of the movie. And while the movie may be a little slow and soft, it never gets to be boring. It's not the kind of Hammer movie most people associate with the film company, but it is an interesting and decent change of pace.

Any veteran fan of either Film Noir or classic horror already knows: when Ann Todd is playing nice, nothing good can come of it! And it certainly doesn't in this worthy film. Starts off a little stodgy, with the usual "seeing-things" denials, but the plot and pace gather momentum soon enough. Good performances throughout, restrained and believable, meaning no one goes over the top.Yes, there are plot holes aplenty for those who care to dwell on them; but whatever they may be, they are more than compensated for by an inventive array of twists and surprises in the final reel. The savvy viewer will anticipate some of them...but not all! That's the fun of it. Many consider this Hammer's finest effort. It definitely holds up beautifully.

Seth Holt directed this psychological suspense mystery that stars Susan Strasberg as Penny Appleby, a wheelchair-bound young woman whose divorced mother has recently died, and has been invited by her father and stepmother Jane(played by Ann Todd) to stay with them. She befriends the family chauffeur Bob(played by Ronald Lewis) and things are fine, but her father is absent, apparently on business, but Penny sees his corpse repeatedly on the estate, and becomes convinced that someone is trying to drive her insane... Christopher Lee costars as Doctor Pierre Gerrard. Intriguing mystery has good direction and cast, with a most surprising and ironic twist ending. Most worthwhile.

God bless the internet and god bless DVD. The reason I say that is because once hidden gems like this film are now being discovered by a bigger audience. Taste Of Fear (AKA:Scream Of Fear) is produced out of that bastion of British horror, Hammer Films, it's directed by Seth Holt (The Nanny), written by Jimmy Sangster (X:The Unknown/The Curse Of Frankenstein) and stars Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd & that cornerstone of Hammer Horror, Christopher Lee.Shot in moody black & white by Holt and cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, and eerily scored by Clifton Parker, the story sees a young paralysed woman return to her family home in France to visit her father who she hasn't seen for years; and to finally meet her new step-mother. Upon arrival she is informed that her father has had to go away on business, which becomes a problem as she starts to see his dead body, first in the summer house, then in the lounge! The mind can play tricks, especially to the traumatised, but she's convinced that what she is seeing is real. Even the family doctor (Lee in a suitably suspicious role) thinks there are mental issues here. Undaunted she enlists the help of friendly chauffeur Bob and sets about unravelling either her mind, or the mystery that lurks at the Appleby home.The film opens with an attention grabbing sequence as police drag a lake for a body, from there on the film becomes essentially a four character piece. Now it's been said in some quarters that this structure telegraphs where the film is going to end up. There's a tiny bit of truth in that but there are at least three twisty kickers here to steer this far away from charges of predictability. In fact the finale has a double whammy that is most rewarding. The whole film pulses with atmosphere and is cloaked in shadows and low tone conversations. The sound work here is also top quality, the constant jabber of the crickets gnaw away at the ears, while the swish of the nearby sea instills a calm that ultimately sets up a false sense of security. The acting is on the money too, be it Strasberg perfectly conveying a multitude of emotions from her wheelchair, or Todd doing a nice line in the "too good to be true?" wholesome step-mom routine. All parties ensure that the story is built up right and that the pay off provides maximum impact.Christopher Lee once said that this was one of the best Hammer Horror film's he was ever involved with, that's a fine selling point to be sure. A different kind of Hammer Horror, one that drips with dread and thrives on its mystery elements. Taste Of Fear is highly recommended to genre fans who prefer psychological chillers over blood letting and overkilled boo jump movies. 8/10