Horror Cult Classic

A newlywed couple unearths sinister secrets in a mansion haunted by the shadows of a mysterious death.

NIGHT OF THE SCORPION

1972 · 1h 20m · NR · Horror · IMDB TMDB

Oliver, a widower, and Ruth are a young couple who recently married. They decide to live into an old mansion belonging to his family in which, under strange circumstances, his first wife died. There, they are greeted by his sister and his stepmother. Oliver is still haunted by the dead of his first wife, and soon Ruth begins to suspect that in was not an accident what caused the death.

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Quick Answer

What is Night of the Scorpion about?

Night of the Scorpion is a 1972 Spanish-Italian horror film directed by Alfonso Balcázar about a newlywed couple who move into a family mansion where the unexplained death of the husband's first wife casts a lingering shadow.

Programmer's Pick

Night of the Scorpion serves up a cocktail of gothic dread and family dysfunction, with enough deep cleavage and awkward dinner parties to make even the most jaded giallo fan raise an eyebrow. If you think your in-laws are complicated, wait until you meet Oliver’s.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Night of the Scorpion opens with Oliver, a widower who has recently remarried Ruth, as they settle into his ancestral mansion. The estate, steeped in a gloomy atmosphere, is marked by the mysterious and unresolved death of Oliver’s first wife under bizarre circumstances. Upon arrival, they are met by Oliver's sister and stepmother, whose presence only adds to the tension. As Oliver remains visibly troubled by his past, Ruth grows increasingly suspicious that the previous tragedy was no mere accident. This Spanish-Italian horror film establishes a moody, claustrophobic setting where family secrets and psychological unease begin to unravel, promising a brooding tale of suspicion, jealousy, and hidden motives—all within the shadowy halls of a stately manor.

Details & Specs

Director: Alfonso Balcázar
Writers: Giovanni Simonelli, José Ramón Larraz, Alfonso Balcázar
Release: 1972
Runtime: 1h 20m
Country: Spain, Italy
Language: Spanish
Genres: Horror
Also Known As: Il cadavere di Helen non mi dava pace, An Open Tomb... An Empty Coffin, Las noches del escorpión, The House of the Living Dead

Cast & Crew

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Director: Alfonso Balcázar Writers: Giovanni Simonelli +2 more

Nuria Torray Sara

Teresa Gimpera Jenny JA José Antonio Amor Oliver Bromfield

Daniela Giordano Ruth

Gioia Desideri Helen

Alicia Tomás Clara, the waitress

Osvaldo Genazzani The Private Detective

Carlo Gentili The Doctor

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