Cliff Notes – ‘Masterpiece’ 70s thriller with shocking twist now available to stream for free
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Streaming Availability: The 1973 horror classic Don’t Look Now, directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, is now available for free on BBC iPlayer.
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Critical Acclaim: The film holds a 93% ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising it as a ‘masterpiece’ and ‘genius’, highlighting its impactful storytelling and visual style.
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Controversial Legacy: The film’s infamous sex scene sparked controversy upon release, leading to speculation about the authenticity of the performances, which the actors have consistently denied.
‘Masterpiece’ 70s thriller with shocking twist now available to stream for free
Donald Sutherland stars as John Baxter in the 1973 classic (Picture: Studio Canal/Shutterstock)
One of the greatest horror films of all time has been made available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer.
Directed by Nicolas Roeg from a story by Daphne Du Maurier, Don’t Look Now is widely regarded as a pivotal work in the genre.
It stars the late, great Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie as John and Laura Baxter, two parents grieving the recent death of their young daughter.
The pair visit Venice, where John is helping to renovate a dilapidated church. While there, they meet a pair of elderly sisters—one of whom claims to be a psychic.
John struggles with the idea that she’s seeing the spirit of his recently drowned daughter but seems to be experiencing nightmarish visions of his own, leading to that shocking twist.
After first terrifying audiences in 1973, Don’t Look Now is streaming for free, where it can traumatise viewers afresh.
Terrible tragedy sends John and his wife Laura to Venice (Picture: Shutterstock)
The death of the Baxters’ daughter sends them on a terrifying spiritual odyssey (Picture: Studio Canal/Shutterstock)
Don’t Look Now currently sits with a healthy 93% ‘fresh’ score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with critics describing it as a ‘masterpiece’ and a ‘classic’ of the genre.
Little White Lies has called it ‘calculated perfection,’ while The Times described it simply as ‘genius.’
In 2002, prominent film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a glowing five stars, calling out the film as ‘a masterpiece of physical filmmaking.’
The film is regarded as a classic of the genre (Picture: Shutterstock)
Upon its release, the film was overshadowed by controversy surrounding its infamous sex scene.
As Roeg cuts between images of John and Laura getting ready for dinner, the camera also shows the pair in bed together in a raw and intimate sex sequence.
Its visual style led to persistent rumours that these were scenes of real, unsimulated sex between its actors… speculation that continues today.
‘My gaze shifted to the actors, and I was riveted. By their shifting positions, it was clear to me they were no longer simply acting: they were f***ing on camera,’ wrote Producer Peter Bart in his 2011 memoir, Infamous Players: A Tale of movies, the Mob (and Sex).
Don’t Look Now is notorious for its raw and realistic sex scene (Picture: Shutterstock)
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However, the stars have always rejected such allegations, with Sutherland denying that Bart was even in the room at all.
In the production notes for the film’s 4K re-release, cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond echoed Sutherland’s denial, saying: ‘We did a good job; it’s very real. People still say they actually made love, but they didn’t.’
Meanwhile, Christie’s boyfriend at the time, actor Warren Beatty, reportedly tried to prevent the film from being released, so outraged was he by the infamous sex scene.
Audiences were shocked by its striking visuals and bizarre twist (Picture: Studio Canal/Shutterstock)
In April 2015, it was announced that the film would be getting a remake, to the chagrin of Hunger Games star Sutherland.
Speaking in a sweary interview with Metro, the actor described the prospect of a remake as ‘shameful.’
He explained: ‘Don’t embarrass yourselves by participating in it. It’s bulls**t. It was a piece of work indelibly written by Nicholas Roeg.
‘Why would they do it? It’s just people trying to profit off the back of something that’s very beautiful. It’s shameful. They should be ashamed of themselves.’
A decade on, and the remake has not yet resurfaced. Might it be dead in the water?
Watch Don’t Look Now on BBC iPlayer.
A version of this article was posted on July 20
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