Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)

Jessica and her husband are relocating from the city to enjoy the quiet of the country, a move seemingly driven by her recent stay in a hospital for her mental health. But their new town is not at all welcoming and their home has a squatter. Since the squatter seems harmless, they decide to invite her to stay the night. This is what's known as a bad call.

We're often privy to Jessica's thoughts, things like "don't tell them, they won't believe you," which are obviously remnants of her recent mental issues. That device is really interesting as we're given insight into why she's not making the common-sense moves, which is usually lacking in other frustrating horror leads. But one good idea cannot save this movie. It's entirely obvious what is going on almost from the first 15 minutes and the rest of the time is just plodding toward the final reveal of what we knew all along.

D+