I Watch Films: A Distant Scream

 

A Distant Scream

Hammer House Of Mystery And Suspense

Michael (David Carridine), dying in prison, has visions of the fateful day. He was at a remote hotel with his lover Rosemary (Stephanie Beachem). Strange events occurred that day; he does not know exactly what happened. He was hit on the head on the beach and when he woke up Rosemary was dead. He was arrested for her murder.

Rosemary and Michael encounter an old man, future Michael, who wants to know what happened. Telling them what will occur makes their argument – that Michael doesn’t want to commit to the relationship, and so Rosemary will not leave her husband. Meanwhile all the witnesses see the strangeness and the arguments, the very evidence that will convict Michael.

There are men about who might be threats. Yet each of them isn’t quite right, doesn’t quite make sense as a culprit. Present Michael will never know what happened, but future Michael does learn. And in turn both gets his revenge and damns himself. A surprisingly watertight plot for a TV movie time-travel story that’s more interested in relationships and odd characters.

Watch This: Carradine in a spooky, atmospheric, unusual mystery
Don’t Watch This: The resolution is aggravatingly fatesd, inevitable and also arbitrary