In the Grip of Terror (2025) Review

In the Grip of Terror opens with a hospital corridor that looks like it hasn’t seen daylight since Harold Wilson was in office. And for a moment you might wonder if you’ve accidentally stumbled into a rerun from 1972, which isn’t a complaint. In the Grip of Terror leans so hard into that particular texture of British horror that it practically creaks.

This is the return of Amicus Productions in more than name alone, and you can feel the filmmakers circling that legacy with reverence and mischief. The structure is pure portmanteau with strangers gathering, a slightly suspect authority figure ushering them along, and before long we’re being told stories that may or may not be about them. It’s all very Dr Terror, very Asylum, from the effects to the period line delivery.

Then wrap-around centres on Laurence R. Harvey’s Dr Graves, who portrays a genial host with a motive. Harvey plays him with a sideways charm that never quite settles, meaning you’re not sure whether to trust him – which is exactly right. Around him, a rotating cast drift through wards and corridors that feel more like Limbo than a functioning hospital.

Visually, the film follows its retro roots. There are painted shadows, and lighting that pools and bleeds rather than simply illuminates. The colours are rich without being garish. And though I suspect the odd bit of CGI was used to deliver certain effects, every effort was taken to avoid it unless absolutely necessary. That grip on practical effects gives the whole thing a tactile quality that many modern horrors are too quick to miss.

The individual segments are a mixed bag, though not in a way that breaks the spell. ‘A Watched by the Dead’ involves a vigil over a corpse, and has a quiet, creeping dread that lingers. It feels very much like one of the classic BBC adaptations of an M. R. James story. Whereas ‘A Diagnosis of Death’ spirals into something more chaotic, piling on ideas until it tips into a kind of delirium. There are moments where the storytelling becomes a little tangled, and one might struggle to follow the narrative. But then, that too feels oddly appropriate. These stories are meant to unsettle and give some level of bewilderment.

Performance-wise, there’s a theatricality that will either charm or slightly distance you, depending on your tolerance for that heightened style. Lines are delivered with intent, pauses hang a fraction longer than you might expect, and occasionally it teeters on the edge of pastiche. This is something very typical of the Amicus films of the 60s and 70s so is intentional, but might not land with audiences not familiar with the era.

For those who do appreciate the classics, many of the actors deliver strong performances including Laurence R. Harvey as the compère, Michael Daviot as the goading Dr. Helberson and the versatile Dorian Todd as Mancher.

Megan Tremethick, who also co-directs, stands out for grounding some of the Amicus stylisation with something a bit more instinctive. There’s a strong sense she’s in on the joke without undercutting it.

Some segments linger past the point where their central idea has fully landed. And at times you start to feel the drag, especially in the middle stretch, where atmosphere begins to substitute for momentum. A firmer editorial hand might have tightened the grip, if you’ll forgive the phrase.

But I still found myself forgiving quite a lot. It’s hard not to admire a film that so clearly knows what it loves and commits to it without hedging. Writer-director Lawrie Brewster and co. don’t try to modernise the formula or smuggle in contemporary relevance. Instead, they recreate a particular flavour of horror and invite you to sit with it.

It won’t work for everyone, and if you’re after sharp shocks and narrative efficiency, this may feel like a relic. But if you have any affection for Amicus, Hammer or that strain of British anthology horror (velvet shadows and moral sting in the tail) there’s a real pleasure here.

A little uneven, occasionally indulgent, but made with conviction. In the Grip of Terror is a daring nostalgic ride that marks a fascinating direction for the studios involved.

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