A Slow Burn and a Screeching Descent

Read Time:5 Minute, 56 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Peril & Distress [Endless Night / Picture Mommy Dead] (4K UHD)
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Genre: Thriller, Mystery / Horror, Drama
Year Released: 1972 / 1966, Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 1h 39m / 1h 22m
Director(s): Sidney Gilliat / Bert I. Gordon
Writer(s): Sidney Gilliat, Agatha Christie / Robert Sherman
Cast: Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett, Britt Ekland / Don Ameche, Martha Hyer, Susan Gordon
Where To Watch: available now, order your copy here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: There’s a special thrill from unexpected pairings—especially when they manage to unnerve, disorient, and entertain. That’s the kind of experience offered by PERIL & DISTRESS: ENDLESS NIGHT / PICTURE MOMMY DEAD, a double feature that steps deep into the world of psychological breakdowns, twisted motives, and haunting environments. Despite being born from different decades and sporting radically different tones, these two films find a strange harmony in depicting unraveling minds and deceptive appearances. One lures you with dread and restrained elegance, while the other barges in with gothic drama and high emotion.

ENDLESS NIGHT, directed by Sidney Gilliat, is the kind of slow-burn thriller that counts on atmosphere over action, with the tension simmering. The story centers on Michael Rogers (Hywel Bennett), a working-class dreamer who falls for the wealthy and sheltered Ellie (Hayley Mills). The chemistry between them is potent, but as their shared vision of happiness takes root on a piece of cursed land known as Gypsy’s Acre, the narrative takes its time introducing a creeping sense of unease. Suspicion and dread aren’t dropped on the viewer—they gently gather, scene by scene.

Bernard Herrmann’s musical score doesn't just underline the unease—it carries it. The music itself feels like a warning that never gets louder, just more persistent. The cinematography works in tandem, contrasting the romantic idealism of the newlyweds' modern home and its foreboding rural landscape. There's something distinctly off about how the setting is framed, making the most beautiful shots feel like they’re hiding something out of sight.

The most striking thing about ENDLESS NIGHT is its avoidance of conventional thriller expectations. There’s no frantic chase or climactic reveal crashing in out of nowhere. Instead, the story leans on mood, tone, and slow-building psychological erosion. This makes the moments of revelation land with added weight—not because they surprise, but because they feel like the natural end point of something quietly rotting underneath the surface. Performances from both Mills and Bennett sell the spiral beautifully, particularly in how their dynamic shifts as the cracks in their dream start to show.

It’s the type of film that lives or dies by its final act, and while some may wish for more bite in the conclusion, others will appreciate the restraint. The UHD restoration from Kino Lorber helps the visuals breathe. The lush countryside and striking modernist house gain depth and clarity, enhancing the subtle contrast between the film’s dreamlike surface and the darkness beneath.

On the other hand, PICTURE MOMMY DEAD isn’t interested in subtlety—it wants your eyes wide and your nerves twitching. Directed by Bert I. Gordon, this twisted family drama leans hard into the gothic, centering on Susan Shelley (Susan Gordon), a teenager recently discharged from a psychiatric facility following the fiery death of her mother (played by Zsa Zsa Gabor). She returns to her family’s mansion, now shared with her scheming father, Edward (Don Ameche), and his much younger new wife, Francene (Martha Hyer). From there, it’s a steady descent into paranoia, manipulation, and psychological chaos.

This one plays like a theatrical production, with everyone cranking their performances to eleven. That works in its favor when leaning into its unhinged moments—characters scream, plotlines twist themselves into knots, and the mansion becomes a trap of secrets and memories. It's campy, no doubt, but there's an earnestness to how the story is told that helps it go down easier. While the tone fluctuates wildly, it’s never boring and frequently surprises in its chosen direction.

Where PICTURE MOMMY DEAD falters is in its narrative discipline. It throws a lot at the screen—some of it sticks, some of it doesn’t. The backstory-heavy dialogue, exaggerated emotional confrontations, and jarring flashbacks occasionally clash instead of connecting. Still, there’s a chaotic charm here that keeps the momentum going. Gordon’s performance brings a curious vulnerability to a role the surrounding noise could’ve easily swallowed.

Packaging these films under PERIL & DISTRESS was a satisfying move from Kino Lorber. Rather than trying to unite the two with a shared tone or genre rules, the release plays into their differences and allows each film to stand on its own. ENDLESS NIGHT is quiet and calculated, requiring patience but offering psychological rewards. PICTURE MOMMY DEAD is a frenzied burst of gothic drama, emotionally messy but undeniably entertaining. Neither reinvents the wheel but contributes uniquely to the genre's evolution.

This combo release also reminds us of how vital restoration can be—not just in polishing up visuals but in providing a fresh lens through which underappreciated work can be re-evaluated. These titles do not usually appear on best-of lists, making them even more interesting to explore. Something is compelling about films that almost work perfectly, where their imperfections are part of their charm.

The most rewarding aspect of this release isn’t just revisiting two ambitious psychological thrillers—it’s seeing them treated with the care and presentation typically reserved for more celebrated titles. It gives them space to be reconsidered, even cherished, on their terms. Whether it’s the icy restraint of ENDLESS NIGHT or the feverish dysfunction of PICTURE MOMMY DEAD, this release proves there’s still value in looking beyond the usual suspects and rediscovering the oddities worth watching.

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER]

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