Lily (Ruth Wilson) is a private palliative nurse caring for an elderly patient Iris Blum (Paula Prentiss) who is in her final months and wishes to die in her own home rather than in an institution. Blum was an author in her younger days and is confused, calling Lily "Polly" which is the name of one of the characters from her most well known book, The Lady in the Walls. Whilst staying in the quiet house the nervous Lily who is timid and easily scared begins to suspect the house is haunted. She begins reading Blum's book despite knowing she is normally too scared for such things.
The book claims to have been narrated to Blum in 1960 by Polly herself a former tenant of the house who has been dead some 100 years or more and somehow I guess communicates her tale from the other side. The mystery as to what befell Polly is not cleared up in the book as Polly seems to not remember just what fate became her. This film doesn't really have any surprises in it, the only surprising thing is how could such a nervously inclined woman ever become a nurse? I swear she'd be scared by a bedpan she's so wet!
As I put this film on I quickly realised that I had watched it before sometime, it was so familiar but I guess it just wasn't that memorable at all as I had to watch it again to remind myself. I can see why it never stuck in my mind, it is so slow, it tries to create atmosphere but rather than creating any dread or feeling of foreboding or mystery the pace of it just had me pondering what to watch next. If you want scares, or any sort of horror then this probably isn't for you. If you can handle glacially slow quiet brooding but ultimately not much happening films than give it a watch. For me the most interesting facets about this movie are it's title and the fact that Paula Prentiss was 2nd lead in the original The Stepford Wives
, the old classic sci-fi movie from 1975. Also the director Osgood is the son of Anthony Perkins of Psycho fame. That's just 2 films you'd probably be better off watching than this one in my opinion.*******************************************
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