It seems that there is no "bandwagon" for this film. Much, much worse horror movies get 10/10 reviews because reviewers know that they are regarded as classics. Here we have a story that could have been written by Poe himself. A sparse script with believable dialogue and a minimalist set that is a direct descendent of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" help concentrate the viewer's attention on the building horror of the idea of being buried alive. As with Poe himself there are no sudden frights, camp touches or over-the-top ham acting that modern audiences associate with horror movies. The New York Times in 1936 criticised the film as " "an almost humorously overstrained attempt at grimness". How can you criticise a horror film for being "grim"? Excellent acting by Erich von Stroheim and Dwight Frye (who my wife said reminded her of Renfield in Dracula without knowing that he had actually played that part in the 1931 movie) add polish. The only criticism I would make is the "American" ending that adds a short "happy ending" scene that would have been omitted by a "European" production. I suspect that most reviewers here have never read Poe and do not read horror stories or, like me, they would rate this movie as a small gem of the horror genre.
Review of The Crime of Doctor Crespi
