The Collector

Director: William Wyler
Cast: Terrance Stamp, Samantha Eggar, Mona Washbourne, Maurice Dallimore, Kenneth More
Genre: Drama/Thriller 1965
Running time: 119 mins.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Base on the best-selling novel by John Fowles, The Collector tells the story of a quiet London bank clerk (Terrance Stamp) whose butterfly collecting hobby takes a sinister twist when he kidnaps a most unusual specimen: a beautiful woman (Samantha Eggar, Golden Globe Best Actress winner for this role)!

It starts out with Freddie Clegg (Stamp), a man with seemingly boyish curiosity and innocence of catching butterflies and stumbling upon a house in the middle of nowhere, but that is just the lasso to draw you into the unexpected horrors that lies as the story unfolds. The lengths that Stamp's character goes to capture his victim, an art student, Miranda Gray (Eggar) and create a "habitat," really gets under your skin. It sinks so far deep that you hope that it will let up, as it does it most film similar to this, but it never does.

 Just when you think good triumphs over evil, a twist happens that makes you uneasy and wonder how is this happening? How is he not getting caught? And the ending leaves you in utter dread and terror!!! The word "stalker" takes on a new meaning.

This is absolutely one of the most groundbreaking films of its time!  The musical score, editing, costume/set design, and performances from both main actors; really intensifies the level of creepiness! A must see!!!