Skip to main content
Crime Cult Classic

A British girls' school becomes a hunting ground as a teacher turns bait in Sidney Hayers' tense 1971 crime-horror.

ASSAULT

Evil grows wild... nothing else lives very long.

1971 · 1h 31m · R · Crime / Drama / Horror / Mystery · IMDB TMDB

After one schoolgirl is raped while taking a short cut through the local woods, and another is murdered in the same woods a few days later, the local police are baffled. With the help of a reporter from one of the local papers, and against the wishes of a psychologist at the local hospital, a young teacher at the school the girls attended uses herself as bait to lure the perpetrator out. Could it be the creepy husband of the head mistress at the school, the psychologist who seems to be taking an unusual interest in the case, or something altogether more sinister?

5,471 FilmsIn The Vault
Vault UpdatedDaily
Curated ByHumans
No AlgorithmBullsh*t
Quick Answer
What is Assault about?

Assault is a 1971 United Kingdom crime, drama, horror, and mystery film directed by Sidney Hayers about a series of violent attacks on schoolgirls, prompting a teacher to act as bait to catch the perpetrator.

Synopsis

Tessa Hurst, a young teen aged girl who attends an English girls school, is raped in the woods in the vicinity of the school. The attack leaves her in a catatonic state after her traumatic experience. One month later, Susan Miller, another girl from the same school is attacked and is killed in the process. Julie West, the school's art teacher, witnesses the killer as he is leaving and in her hysterical state, mistakes him for the devil. She then decides to use herself as bait to catch the rapist. She is aided in her plan by Dr. Greg Lomax, who also happens to be treating Tessa. During the investigation, the police come up with a list of several suspects from the voyeuristic husband of the school's headmistress to Dr. Lomax. They eventually come up with a plan to try and catch the killer by administering truth serum to Tessa to bring her out of her state. Just as Tessa is about to be injected, Julie realizes that the killer is a colleague of Greg's and struggles with him. During the struggle, Tessa wanders out of the doctor's office and returns to the place where she was raped. She is then confronted by her attacker, who again tries to rape and murder her.
Details & Specs
Director
Sidney Hayers
Writers
John Kruse, Kendal Young
Release
1971
Runtime
1h 31m
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Also Known As
Tower of Terror, Plaything of the Devil, Meurtre à haute tension, Mord im Teufelsgrund, In the Devil's Garden, Satan's Playthings

Why Cult

Girls' School Terror

The film's setting at an English girls' school gives the unfolding crimes a claustrophobic and unsettling edge.

Bait-and-Hunt Plot

Art teacher Julie West’s decision to use herself as bait adds a tense, proactive twist to the standard whodunit formula.

Suspect Gallery

From a voyeuristic husband to a suspicious psychologist, the film offers a parade of red herrings and potential villains.

British Crime Mood

Sidney Hayers directs with a distinctly British sense of gloom, giving the horror a chilly, procedural flavor.

Trailer

Questions from the Vault

What is Assault about? +

Assault follows a series of attacks on girls near an English school, leading a teacher to act as bait for the elusive perpetrator.

When was Assault released? +

Assault was released in 1971.

Who directed Assault? +

Assault was directed by Sidney Hayers.

How long is Assault? +

Assault has a runtime of 91 minutes.

What genre is Assault? +

Assault is a crime, drama, horror, and mystery film.

Where can I watch Assault? +

Assault is available to watch on SassyFlix.