This Sci-Fi That Cost $140k Is Probably the Goriest Horror of 1950s

I am all too familiar with the feeling of passionately defending a movie to my friends and begging them to watch it, even if it has bad reviews and is generally overlooked. Many of my favorite films are the ones that some can dismiss as boring, incomplete, or outright nonsensical. But this time I've got backup from an unexpected ally: The Criterion Collection itself.

A movie I'm going to talk about by modern standards shouldn't work. Yet here I am completely fascinated by it and ready to tell you all about it. So if you're a fan of sci-fi and horror at the same time, this 67-year-old film will be just right up your alley.

Fiend Without a Face (1958): Sci-Fi Horror That Dared to Be Different

When I first stumbled upon this gem, I was kind of skeptical. It's an obscure-looking film from the 50s that has only 44% on Popcornmeter. And I am the type of person who trusts the audience score more than the critics one. But nevertheless, I am always up for the challenge. That's why I just couldn't give up on the movie that easily.

And thank God I didn't! Fiend Without a Face follows the story of a small town where mysterious deaths start occurring. People are found dead with their brains and spinal cords completely missing. What's happening, you may ask? Well, the answer without too many spoilers includes a mad scientist and some weird creatures.

The film was so graphic for its time that it actually caused quite a stir in the British Parliament.

"What went through my mind was that I never could have afforded to buy that publicity,” exec producer Richard Gordon said when asked about the situation in Tom Weaver’s Interviews With B Science Fiction And Horror Movie Makers book (via Den of Geek).

Fiend Without a Face Is Terrifying Despite Its Very Low Budget

The film does something that many modern horror movies, with all their technical advantages, often fail to do: it commits to its bizarre plot, it fully believes in it and delivers its scares with conviction. And the budget was laughable: only $140,000.

Thankfully, I'm not alone in my appreciation. As Redditor GodzillaWithAHat wrote:

“I love it! One of the most underrated movies in the [Criterion] collection. The third act steals the show. Was there any other movie from that time period that was anywhere close to being as violent/bloody? I can’t think of one.”

And I can't either. Probably because Fiend Without a Face was pushing boundaries that many of its contemporaries wouldn't dare approach.

Well, if you're intrigued by this weird and wonderful piece of horror history, you can find it on Criterion Channel right now.