This really is a cult masterpiece. With a running time of less than an hour the action takes place in Orchard Cottage where a young house-hunting couple are shown round by a mysterious housekeeper.
The narrative moves to a flashback within a flashback and is gripping viewing as the history of the cottage and its former owner, Mark Lemming, is unfolded.
'House of Mystery' isn't just a neat central idea though - the performances are all good, direction and script flawless and a genuine sense of unease and suspense is built up with a minimum of effort.
This can genuinely rival the likes of 'The Haunting' (1963) and 'The Innocents' (1961) as a ghostly horror film, whilst similar cult-efforts like 'Carnival of Souls' (1962) are more than matched by this unknown British classic.
The narrative moves to a flashback within a flashback and is gripping viewing as the history of the cottage and its former owner, Mark Lemming, is unfolded.
'House of Mystery' isn't just a neat central idea though - the performances are all good, direction and script flawless and a genuine sense of unease and suspense is built up with a minimum of effort.
This can genuinely rival the likes of 'The Haunting' (1963) and 'The Innocents' (1961) as a ghostly horror film, whilst similar cult-efforts like 'Carnival of Souls' (1962) are more than matched by this unknown British classic.