Sinister science and dream therapy collide on the Riviera in this British sci-fi mystery.
ESCAPEMENT
SWEET-FLESHED BEAUTY BECOMES DOCILE OF DEMONIACAL MONSTER!
An insurance investigator finds there's more to electronic dream therapy than meets the eye.
Quick Answer
Escapement is a 1958 United Kingdom crime, mystery, and science fiction film directed by Montgomery Tully and David Paltenghi about an insurance investigator who uncovers a sinister plot involving electronically induced dream therapy at a private psychiatric clinic.
Programmer's Pick
Where else are you going to get ex-Nazis, electronic dream machines, and a love triangle tangled up in a psychiatric clinic on the Riviera? Escapement is a brisk, British sci-fi noir that makes you think twice before booking any 'relaxing' therapy.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Details & Specs
- Directors
- Montgomery Tully, David Paltenghi
- Writer
- Charles Eric Maine
- Release
- 1958
- Runtime
- 1h 20m
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Genres
- Crime, Mystery, Science Fiction
- Also Known As
- The Electronic Monster, Zex, the Electronic Fiend, The Dream Machine, Mit 1000 Volt in den Tod
Why This Matters
This British horror science fiction film adapts Charles Eric Maine's 1956 novel and features direction by both Montgomery Tully and David Paltenghi, with the latter handling its dream sequences. It was released under different titles in the UK and US.
Cast & Crew
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Why Cult
The film’s core mystery revolves around a clinic using electronically induced dream therapy—a unique sci-fi twist for its era.
Set in the south of France, the story mixes continental glamour with sinister undertones and shadowy clinics.
Jeff Keenan’s investigation ties together film stars, ex-Nazis, and a psychiatric clinic, offering a procedural twist on classic sci-fi.
The plot features a ‘mad doctor’ running experiments that blur the lines between medicine and manipulation.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Admission to psychiatric clinic
Electronically induced dream therapy
Suspicious deaths among patients
Private psychiatric clinic on the Riviera
Questions from the Vault
When was Escapement released? +
Escapement was released in 1958.
Who directed Escapement? +
Escapement was directed by Montgomery Tully and David Paltenghi.
How long is Escapement? +
Escapement has a runtime of 80 minutes.
What genre is Escapement? +
Escapement is a crime, mystery, and science fiction film.
How is electronic dream therapy used in the film? +
In Escapement, electronic dream therapy is administered at a private psychiatric clinic, forming the center of a sinister plot connected to several suspicious deaths.
