The Spiral Staircase

An old thriller that could be cataloged as either horror or noir, depending on how you're willing to shift the boundaries of genres throughout the years. Either way, it's a rather tepid affair that failed to get me fully engaged, though there is some inspired black-and-white cinematography.

Helen works in a large mansion, where she cares for an old woman. When word goes around that a maniac is on the loose, killing women with various afflictions, Helen doesn't feel safe anymore. And she's right to be worried because a man has broken into the mansion and he's got his eyes on Helen.

The setting is appropriate and thanks to the clever use of black-and-white some scenes manage to build up tension, but many endless conversations immediately tear it down again. The plot is weak, the horror elements are unimpressive and the somewhat cheesy finale left me wanting. Not great, but if you consider this a noir, it's not even all that bad.