Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A vengeful witch, Asa Vajda, and her fiendish servant, Igor Jauvitch, return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant: Katia. Only a handsome doctor with the help of family members stand in her way.
Mario Bava's debut is a landmark of gothic horror, celebrated primarily for its extraordinary black-and-white cinematography — lush, fog-drenched compositions that remain influential to this day. The visual craft is genuinely exceptional, earning a strong mark. The plot is serviceable gothic fare — witch resurrection, doppelgänger possession — competently executed but not particularly deep or surprising. Acting is solid for the genre and era, Barbara Steele's dual role being a standout presence, though the supporting cast is uneven. Novelty is above average given Bava's singular atmospheric vision, but the narrative ingredients (witch, vampire, crypt) are drawn from well-worn European horror tradition. The ending is the weakest element — a fairly conventional resolution that dissipates the dread Bava builds so effectively throughout.