Mason is squandered in the picture, and the narration by him and Inger Stevens is ridiculous, and shifting the action to the police station detracts from the danger the family faces. The plot to extort money would have worked better without kidnapping the family, but then we wouldn't have had this film in the first place. Take those factors out and the picture is still tense and exciting, thanks to Stone's directing and the desperation that Stevens conveys in her scenes with psycho Neville Brand. Equally menacing is, of all people, Angie Dickenson as the cold-blooded criminal willing to kill the daughter if the demands aren't met. Rod Steiger as the ringleader is too busy trying to contain Brand, and maybe could have been used as the cop instead. The elements are haphazard, the film is all over the place, it's fun to watch, but it goes back and forth instead of straight.
Review of Cry Terror!
