Les treize marches de l'angoisse

Well-done psychological thriller is slow in going, but ultimately a rewarding and emotional character study.

Lonely spinster has been living under the eye of her over-bearing father ever since her beloved fiancé disappeared years earlier. But now that she is gathering her will power, will she be able to take control of her life and uncover the secrets from her past?

While many have billed this film as a horror movie, it's really not. The Attic is a highly tense drama that builds to some good thriller qualities, especially toward its climax. Director George Edwards creates a feeling of intrigue and mystery with this film, while adding some occasional Gothic touches. The musical score and theme song also add to the film's over all shut-in mood.

The true highlight of this movie though is its great cast. Veteran actor Ray Milland is appropriate and menacing as the heroine's invalid old father. His performance is quite good and this stands out as one of his better B film roles. However the true star of this film is the late Carrie Snodgrass. Snodgrass gives a stirring, heart-felt performance that makes her character truly sympathetic. In fact, she is so good in her role that she gives the entire film a bit of a solemn, moving note. This is perhaps one of Snodgrass's best roles ever.

The Attic has became a some what lost film over the years and it shouldn't be. It's a rare thriller that actually reaches an emotional level with its audience.

*** out of ****

Okay, the storyline here is pretty interesting. Louise is a lonley librarian who is developing a drinking habit which is about to get her fired. But if anyone has GOOD reason to be sneakin hooch its Louise. 19 years ago she was left at the altar by her true love who she's never heard from since (she calls Missing Persons on a regular basis and they are at a point where they dont think this man EVER existed anywhere but in Louise's mind!). She lives with her evil nasty belittling father who is in a wheelchair due to an accident he had trying to escape a building Louise set on fire during one of her "Crazys" episodes. Since then Louise has had to bathe him, feed him and wait on him hand and foot.As you can imagine its a real downer and Louise has even known to slit a wrist or two over it (which her father points out is just to get attention!) Louise makes freinds with a new younger girl at the library and they start a friendship that at least brings Louise a little bit of joy. Her father cant stand it. "Where were you?" he likes to yell when she comes home at night. (He listens to phone calls too.) From the point were Louise is gifted a monkey....yes, a monkey!.....the twists start hitting. Are they fast and furious? No, the movie moves slowly ...which is unfortunate because all-in-all it IS an interesting story with some cool plot twists. I really think this movie needs a re-make with quicker pacing and maybe a few more surprises thrown in. The first time I saw this movie I was a little kid who caught the last 20 minutes on TV and thought "Wow! What a mind-f***!". Renting it and watching it in full I now see that most of the action takes place in those last 20 minutes.

This film is a slow burn at times, but offers a very in depth character study and the effect of mental criticism, manipulation of overbearing parent. Your introduced to Louise a middle aged librarian whose life is less than ideal and was stood up at the alter 19 yrs ago. You really do sympathize with her fragile mental state and her delusion that her fiancee will return to her. Louise is played by Carrie Snoggren and we'll played too, Wendell her awful excuse of a father is played by Ray Milland. For about 40 minutes it's a slow burn, until the intro of the monkey. The ending though quite sad builds to an exciting climax as to what's really in the attic. Not a repeat watch but deserving of a viewing once or twice. 3/5.

I remember seeing The Attic on TV when I was 10, and I'll have to admit, it did give me nightmares. Now at 28, I decided to drop it in my Netflix queue just for laughs to see if it would still freak me out. Now I have a different perspective about it.I really agree with the last comment I read. This film is hard to classify, and in my opinion, could have been so much better. The two actors, Carrie Snodgress and Ray Milland keep it from being completely unwatchable. Snodgress does an exceptional job portraying Louise, that she actually makes you feel bad for her. All through the movie, you almost wish someone would throw her a bone and get her out of that dreadful house. It isn't really a horror movie, but it does have a creepy feel to it in some places. Ray Milland's sadistic portrayal of Louise's father,Wendell, contributes to that.

This is NOT a horror film. Like its "prequel," "The Killing Kind," it's more a psychological study of how nasty parents can really mess up their children's lives, and how ironically nasty life can be.

Louise, brilliantly played by the wonderful, under-utilized and now-departed actress Carrie Snodgrass, is a spinster librarian with a hateful, controlling, wheelchair-bound dad played with unashamed evil glee by Ray Milland. Louise is depressed beyond belief--she's never gotten over the loss of her fiancée who disappeared 19 years ago, or an accident that led to her father being in a wheelchair. She does anything she can to cope: attempts suicide, masturbates, has a one-night stand, plans vacations she'll never have the courage to take, retires from her job and even takes care of a chimpanzee. But she's not a balanced person--she constantly fantasizes about rejecting her abusive and mean father and loses track of reality on occasion. She was admits to being involved in a library arson, and that she'd do it again. She drinks a little too. But things seem to be going her way at last when Louise makes a friend out of a co-worker, a sincere young woman who boosts Louise's confidence, and gives her hope, sets her on the road to recovering her self-esteem and her life.

But, as in "Carrie," happiness is not in the cards for Louise, and it all comes to an end in a series of ironic surprises, and a stormy conclusion in a creepy attic where unpleasant truths are finally revealed.

This is not a horror movie--it's not scary or gory at all. You have to be in the right mood to enjoy this movie. You have to be depressed, and feeling hateful, and old, and grief over the loss of someone or something you love to really get into this movie. You have to feel like the world is an unfair, cruel place to live, and be interested in a movie that confirms your worst fears...the world IS against you! There are some wonderful moments of black humor--the secret Ray Milland has been hiding about his health is somehow so cruel it's almost funny, and listening to Carrie Snodgrass break out of character and scream is a wonderful experience. Some of Louise's fantasies show her screaming or acting sly and seductive in that unusual voice of hers, giving just a hint of what Ms. Snodgrass might have delivered had more roles come her way. Ray Milland's hatred of the "Dicky the chimp" is hilarious, even as it degrades a once great actor in his declining years to be in such a role in, basically, an exploitation film. But I can't stop laughing when he first sees Dickey..."What in God's name is THAT!??"

It's not a great film, and hard to categorize; I have no idea who would have put up money for something like this, let alone how they got the actors they did. It's more sad than scary, and you really have to be in the right mood to watch a character who's life was pretty rotten almost get better, then fall into a bottomless pit of hopelessness.

Or maybe the implication is that Louise went on after this movie, and was able to start her life over, having broken the spell of the past that kept her from moving forward. Somehow, I highly doubt it though...!