Rent A Candle for the Devil (1973)

3.0 of 5 from 66 ratings
1h 23min
Rent A Candle for the Devil (aka Una vela para el diablo) Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
  • General info
  • Available formats
Synopsis:
Laura Barkley (Judy Geeson) travels to a sleepy Spanish town to visit her sister, who is staying at an inn run by two religious sisters. But when she arrives she discovers that her sister has mysteriously disappeared. The two sisters, Marta and Veronica, tell Laura that her sister left suddenly but no one has seen her leave the village. Laura decides to stay at the inn whilst searching for her sister but soon discovers that the self-righteous sisters cannot bear the nakedness and promiscuity of young English holidaymakers. One by one, these pleasure seekers begin to disappear. Meanwhile, the sisters evening meals begin to take on an unusual flavour...
Actors:
, , , , , , , , , , Charley Pineiro
Directors:
Producers:
José López Moreno
Writers:
Eugenio Martín, Antonio Fos
Aka:
Una vela para el diablo
Studio:
Odeon
Genres:
Classics, Horror
Collections:
Top 10 Guest Houses On Film, Top Films
Countries:
Spain
BBFC:
Release Date:
23/06/2008
Run Time:
83 minutes
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono
Subtitles:
None
DVD Regions:
Region 0 (All)
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.66:1
Colour:
Colour
BBFC:
Release Date:
01/06/2015
Run Time:
87 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono
Subtitles:
None
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen 1.85:1
Colour:
Colour
BLU-RAY Regions:
(0) All
Bonus:
  • Original Theatrical Trailer

More like A Candle for the Devil

Reviews (1) of A Candle for the Devil

Spoilers follow ... - A Candle for the Devil review by NP

Spoiler Alert
04/01/2017

Uptight Marta (Aurora Bautista) is in a dilemma. Fresh faced Laura Barkley (Judy Geeson) has arrived to stay and only minutes earlier, Marta had caused the death of her sister. Marta’s own sister, the much less puritanical Veronica (Esperanza Roy) has been stealing money from the safe and carrying on with young general help Eduardo (Víctor Alcázar).

Despite being fairly central to the plot, Laura doesn’t feature as much as you might expect. Her new friend, obnoxious Helen (Lone Fleming) is the next one to be despatched. With people dropping like flies around her, Laura’s suspicions grow.

Initially, I sympathised with Marta’s thinking – the character of Helen for example wasn’t so much sexually provocative, but a thoroughly obnoxious character. Whilst her fate was abhorrent, she was advised several times to leave the hotel and was aggressively petulant in her defiance. As time goes on, however, Marta either becomes more twisted, or the depths of her instability becomes more and more pronounced to the viewer. This is demonstrated never more pleasingly when ‘the eye of a young woman’ is found staring out of someone’s hotel dinner. Although, considering the film’s title is ‘Candle for the Devil’, these events are a little small-time; I expected something a little more demonic.

The story ends on an uncertain note. Either the sisters’ deadly exploits are about to be exposed to the mad-eyed authorities, or the whole town is in on it. Revelling in the kind of intrigue that made ‘Psycho (1960)’ such a huge success, ‘A Candle for the Devil’ seems under-developed. It would have been more satisfying had it been made clearer if the entire district condoned, or was involved in the cover-up of, Marta’s blatantly murderous actions.

0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.

Unlimited films sent to your door, starting at £15.99 a month.