Central Films, 1989
starring: Adrian Rawlins, Bernard Hepton, David Daker, Pauline Moran
directed by: Herbert Wise

the plot: Arthur Kidd (Rawlins) is a junior solicitor in a law firm in 1925 London. He is sent to settle the estate of Mrs. Drablow, an elderly client of the firm who has recently died. But once he arrives in the village of Crythin Gifford, Kidd immediately senses all is not right. A pall seems cast on the townsfolk, and any mention of the Drablows and the Eel Marsh House—Kidd’s destination—inspires fear and hostility. The spooky mansion is cut off from the mainland at high tide, when a connecting causeway is dangerously swamped. As the story unfolds, the past and recent deaths of children and an apparent curse on the people of the village fuel Kidd’s lonely and terrifying experiences in the Eel Marsh House, threatening his sanity and, finally, his life.

why it’s good: Filmed for British television and first seen here on the A&E network, this modest, handsome film is a terrifying tour-de-force. Based on Susan Hill’s popular 1983 novel, the atmosphere of post-Edwardian England (staged with typical British excellence in costume and scenic design) is clammy and dank, even in the “cheerful” London scenes. From her first appearance, the title character is a nightmare come to life (not exactly, but she’s deadly). The suspense is relentless and the shocks plentiful, truly not for the fainthearted. Director Wise proves that with talent and imagination, sheer terror can be realized on the screen without any violence or blood. This seems like a nice, old-fashioned ghost story, but it has a long history of freaking out children and adults, alike.

why you should own it: Hill’s novel has already generated this first-rate television film and a stage production that enjoyed a good Broadway run and has become the second-longest running show in the West End (after “The Mousetrap”). On Feb. 3, a theatrical version will be released starring Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps. The new movie purportedly adheres closer to the novel than the television adaptation. This is usually a good thing, but the changes made in 1989 by screenwriter Nigel Kneale (“Quartermass”) were big improvements. So we shall see. The Granada Television DVD, unfortunately, includes fadeouts that indicate edited-out advertisements, as the film was originally shown on a commercial network. About 150 mostly gushing reviews on Amazon attest to the popularity of this horrific gem.