12 Classic British Horror Films You Need To See

What can be more British than a film about a motorcycle gang that “terrorizes” a small town by being insufferably rude? Well, the leader is played by Nicky Henson (Downton Abbey), his mother is Beryl Reid (No Sex Please We’re British) and the Inspector on Henson’s trail is Robert Hardy (All Creatures Great And Small).

Following a Faustian pact, Henson commits suicide and immediately returns from the grave as an invincible version of his former self, prompting his friends to follow suit. Which they do – by leaping off buildings, throwing themselves in front of traffic, wading into lakes carrying rocks etc.

Played with its tongue firmly in its cheek, Psychomania has confounded viewers who don’t “get” the movie since its 1973 release. In among the dream sequences and a scene where Reid turns into a frog (long story) is a bizarre moment where Henson is buried with his motorcycle, only to drive his way out of his own grave seconds later. Moments like this are a litmus test for the audience – if you like your horror straight up and without irony, don’t bother watching.