The Couch (1962)

A homicidal psychopath (Grant Williams) calls the police to notify them whenever he kills someone and it's always at the same time, 7:00 PM. Written by Robert Bloch (PSYCHO) from a story by Blake Edwards and Owen Crump, the film's director. This may be a minor entry but it is a genuinely creepy psychological thriller. Curiously, the film's director Owen Crump's background is in documentary films and THE COUCH is only one of two feature films he directed. Grant Williams' serial killer could be a cinematic cousin to Norman Bates but the film's finale is as unsatisfying as the psychiatrist's exposition at the end of PSYCHO. I had problems with Shirley Knight's character. I say character but maybe it's her performance. Williams' psychopath sends off all kinds of red flags that she overlooks (I know he's cute but still) and even when she discovers his true character she seems oddly enervated. But there's no denying the effectiveness of this vigorous chiller. The film's coda should put a smile on your face. With Onslow Stevens, Anne Helm, William Leslie and Hope Summers.