The Best Horror Hidden Gem Of The 1970s Is Being Lost
The sheer volume of streaming services has made an abundance of classic horror films available to a new generation of fans. But even with the addition of the latest platforms, there are still a good number of cinematic gems that continue to be unavailable. One horror classic that deserves its release is the 1971 vampire film Let’s Scare Jessica to Death, a feature that carries both suspense and terror from start to finish.
From City To Farmhouse
Let’s Scare Jessica to Death follows the story of a troubled woman who suffers a severe nervous breakdown and needs to be institutionalized. Jessica (Zohra Lampert) is released into the care of her husband Duncan (Barton Heyman), who decides their best course of action is to leave the hectic life of New York City and settle into a farmhouse on an island off the coast. As soon as they arrive at their new home, they discover that it’s being occupied by a drifter named Emily (Mariclare Costello).
Jessica is drawn to the mysterious Emily, as is her friend Woody (Kevin O’Connor) who arrives to stay with her and Duncan. As the four of them settle into the farmhouse, Jessica is soon plagued by disembodied voices. Fearing that Duncan might think she is having a relapse, Jessica keeps these events to herself.
Terror From The Water
But Let’s Scare Jessica to Death sees its main character experience more than just voices. Jessica keeps seeing a young woman staring at her from the woods that mysteriously vanishes when approached. Not long after, Jessica feels hands pull her under the water while she’s swimming in the nearby cove, nearly drowning her.
As Let’s Scare Jessica to Death continues, the mystery grows more intense. She is told by a local shop owner that a previous occupant of her new home, Abigail Bishop, drowned in a nearby cove a century before. It’s rumored that Abigail returned as a vampire and has been terrorizing islanders ever since.
Nervous Breakdown Or Vampires?
Jessica begins to notice that the residents of the small island community all wear bandages, as if they were being cut (or bled) on a regular basis. Adding to the suspense is a revelation Jessica has after looking at an old photo found in the farmhouse. After studying it, she is terrified to see that their house-guest, Emily, is a dead ringer for Abigail Bishop.
Is Emily really a vampire in disguise? Or is Jessica suffering another nervous breakdown? As the dead bodies begin to pile up and her sanity begins to crack even more, Let’s Scare Jessica to Death leads audiences on a horrifying ride through its final frames.
Classic Use Of Unreliable Protagonist
Let’s Scare Jessica to Death does a brilliant job making audiences doubt whether Jessica is experiencing reality. The woman’s mental health history, coupled with the fantastic narrative she spins about a vampire attack, work well against the woman’s side of the story. But the film also builds a strong case for Jessica really being haunted by a bloodsucker, made even more horrifying because no one would ever believe her.
Sheer Psychological Terror
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The film is multi-layered and weaves a complex narrative from Jessica’s perspective that film buffs have been analyzing for decades. In the end, it’s the viewer who will need to make the determination about whether or not Let’s Scare Jessica to Death is a real vampire story or if it is all paranoid delusions suffered by Jessica.
Let’s Scare Jessica to Death sinks its fangs into you in the best kind of way. The psychological terror combines well with the horror to produce a film that scares on several levels.
While you can’t stream Let’s Scare Jessica to Death for free, the film can be rented On Demand through Prime, Vudu, Google Play, and AppleTV.
