12 Classic British Horror Films You Need To See

Originally created for a 6-part BBC TV serial, Professor Bernard Quatermass is a pioneer of the UK’s space programme who, in the manner of all TV scientists, finds himself confronting alien forces on a weekly basis.

In Quatermass And The Pit, those forces explain how mankind evolved on Earth, and the answer holds up remarkably well, especially for a 1967 movie made on a meagre budget, featuring no major stars. There are several familiar faces, though: Julian Glover (For Your Eyes Only) is a pompous Colonel, while Hammer regulars Barbara Shelley and Duncan Lamont also appear.

Literate, fiercely intelligent, yet also capable of appealing to a mass audience, this is the ultimate filmed version of Kneale’s work (he was considerably less enthusiastic about Hammer’s The Quatermass Xperiment) as well as one of Hammer’s best films.