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.
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?
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
- 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
The film's setting at an English girls' school gives the unfolding crimes a claustrophobic and unsettling edge.
Art teacher Julie West’s decision to use herself as bait adds a tense, proactive twist to the standard whodunit formula.
From a voyeuristic husband to a suspicious psychologist, the film offers a parade of red herrings and potential villains.
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.