A disco dancer is trapped in a psychiatric ward after a misdiagnosis—and the real danger is just beginning.
THE FIFTH FLOOR
The Nightmare Is Knowing You're Sane.
A young woman collapses on the disco dance floor of what's revealed to be strychnine poisoning. Assuming that this is an attempt at suicide, her boyfriend and doctor wrongly commit her to the Fifth Floor, an insane asylum.
Quick Answer
The Fifth Floor is a 1978 American horror-thriller film directed by Howard Avedis about a disco dancer who, after a drug overdose, is wrongly committed to a psychiatric ward where she faces unwanted attention from an unstable orderly.
Programmer's Pick
The Fifth Floor spins disco fever into institutional dread, trading mirror balls for padded walls. Watch for Robert Englund before Freddy and the unsettling vibes of late-'70s psych ward cinema.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Cast & Crew
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Why Cult
From flashing lights to psychiatric lights, see the 1970s disco scene turn sinister when a night out leads to institutionalization.
Bo Hopkins delivers a chilling performance as Carl, the orderly whose obsession with Kelly ratchets up the film’s tension.
The horror isn't supernatural—it's a real-world nightmare of being trapped in a system that refuses to listen.
Catch Robert Englund before his Freddy Krueger days as Benny, adding to the film’s unsettling atmosphere.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Accidental drug overdose at a disco
Confinement in a psychiatric ward and predatory staff
Isolation, vulnerability, and psychological danger to Kelly
Fifth floor of Cedar Springs Hospital
Questions from the Vault
When was The Fifth Floor released? +
The Fifth Floor was released in 1978.
Who directed The Fifth Floor? +
The Fifth Floor was directed by Howard Avedis.
How long is The Fifth Floor? +
The Fifth Floor has a runtime of 90 minutes.
What genre is The Fifth Floor? +
The Fifth Floor is a horror-thriller.
Where can I watch The Fifth Floor? +
You can watch The Fifth Floor on SassyFlix.
Trailers & Clips
