The Ashby kids never fully recovered from the twin tragedies of losing their parents and the suicide of their brother Tony. Simon Ashby (Oliver Reed) has grown into a total dickbagel who’s intent on burning through his inheritance before he even gets old enough to receive it. His sister Eleanor (Jeanette Scott) is a sickly bundle of nerves that’s never accepted that her brother is dead. Shit gets even worse for these two when Tony shows up out of nowhere!

The only one holding this broken household together is Aunt Harriet (Sheila Burrell). She immediately suspects that this “Tony” character couldn’t possibly be anything more than an imposter trying to get a cut of the Ashby cash (or “cAshby”, if you please). But it’s too late for poor Eleanor, she’s over the moon about her dead bro’s triumphant return to life. She has little time to enjoy their reunion as someone immediately starts trying to murder them. And just who are those creepy characters lurking in the church at night?

For the longest time, Paranoiac (1963) was my favorite of Hammer’s black and white thrillers. Lately, Scream of Fear (1961) has taken the top spot, but I still adore this tale of a wealthy family who’s gone all cuckoo in the head. Any film from the dream team of director Freddie Francis and writer Jimmy Sangster is going to be a winner. Throw in an impeccable cast, a fine score by Elisabeth Lutyens, and cinematography by Hammer superhero Arthur Grant, how could you go wrong?

My only criticism of Paranoiac is that if you’re not craving more melodrama than the daily serving your doctor recommends, I could see this story being a bit much for you. But fear not, the hypnotic and eerie gothic imagery, terrific performances, and mystery elements will keep you on board. All in all, Paranoiac is a gorgeous film with an excellent whodunnit plot and some spooky weirdness that stays with you long after its over.

Scream Factory continues to do their Hammer Horror library justice with their excellent releases and Paranoiac is certainly no exception. The new 2K scan of the film is mouth-wateringly gorgeous. There’s a new commentary from author and film historian Bruce G. Hallenbeck. There are two interviews on the disc, one with the always pleasant and fashionable Kim Newman, and another with author and film historian Jonathan Rigby, discussing the film’s production at length. There’s also a making of Paranoiac featurette from a previous release. Finally, the film’s theatrical trailer and an image gallery are included.