Let's Scare Jessica to Death
dir. John D. Hancock · 1971
Jessica, recently released from a psychiatric facility, moves to a remote farmhouse with her husband and a friend, only to encounter a mysterious woman named Emily and the ghostly legend of Abigail Bishop. As Jessica's grip on reality begins to slip, the film immerses viewers in a haunting atmosphere where the boundaries of sanity blur. Watching it feels like traversing a dreamscape filled with dread, where every ripple in the water hints at deeper psychological currents.
After a stint in a psychiatric facility Jessica, her husband and a friend move to remote farm they have recently purchased. There they find a young woman by the name of Emily living in the house and they invite her to stay. When Jessica goes for a swim in the lake, she sees a body just below the water's surface. When they go into the village to sell some old furniture, they learn that a woman by the name of Abigail Bishop drowned in the lake and her body was never found. Local folklore has that Abigail is now a vampire roaming the countryside. A mute blond girl leads her to the body of a dead man but the body is not there when Jessica goes for help. Jessica and those around begin to wonder if she is losing her mind.
Talking points
- the impact of mental illness on perception
- the role of folklore in shaping fears
- the intersection of reality and delusion
- the portrayal of women in horror
