Someone Behind the Door

"This was a fun little 70s psychological thriller that I’d never heard of. It caught my eye because of the strange actor pairing of Anthony Perkins and Charles Bronson, the bad-assed poster and a recommendation from The Pure Cinema Podcast. Bronson plays the patsy, an amnesiac who is dropped off at local hospital by a fishermen. Perkins’ brain surgeon offers to take him to his home, off the books, for “treatment”. Perkins then tries to gaslight Bronson about his identity, so he will eliminate his wife’s lover for him. It plays out as a kind of a chamber drama between the two of them. Will Bronson figure out his ruse before it’s too late? And who is he really? Perkin’s is good here, being Machiavellian and pathetic in equal measure. (It’s a shame that he got so pigeonholed by Psycho because there is obvious talent there). Bronson is solid and it’s interesting watching him play a character role like this, just prior to him spending last 20 years of his career doing variations off of his Death Wish character. It’s currently available on Tubi and many of the other free streaming sites. 3.75 out 5 Stars"