"Night Terror" follows a mother (Valerie Harper) who is forced to make an emergency night drive from Phoenix back to Denver after her son is injured there. En route, she witnesses a psychopath murder a police officer, and is pursued through a night of pure hell.
This road thriller has all the hallmarks of a solid television suspense flick, with "Mary Tyler Moore Show" star Valerie Harper (starring in an atypical role), a dusty desert setting (which many of these films seem to share, as they were shot in California--"Dying Room Only" comes to mind), and a premise that has the potential to be high-octane.
The film starts off strong, with a forlorn atmosphere as Harper's character embarks on her journey. She attempts to purchase gasoline, but the attendants have shut off the pumps just before midnight, leaving her in a conundrum. Her lack of fuel of course becomes seriously troubling once she's crossed paths with a killer.
The film propels Harper's character through a series of incidents as she plays a cat-and-mouse game with her assailant, and it's during the midsection that the film starts to feel a bit clunky, culminating in a fitting albeit not particularly thrilling finale. No less, Harper possesses a down-to-earth realism here, and Richard Romanus is effective as the voiceless assailant hot on her heels.
All in all, "Night Terror" is a decent suspense thriller that is exemplary of the period in which it was made. It is a straightforward, no-frills TV movie of the week that, despite some clunky pacing in its midsection, has just enough atmosphere and a handful of suspenseful situations that make it worth viewing. 6/10.
This road thriller has all the hallmarks of a solid television suspense flick, with "Mary Tyler Moore Show" star Valerie Harper (starring in an atypical role), a dusty desert setting (which many of these films seem to share, as they were shot in California--"Dying Room Only" comes to mind), and a premise that has the potential to be high-octane.
The film starts off strong, with a forlorn atmosphere as Harper's character embarks on her journey. She attempts to purchase gasoline, but the attendants have shut off the pumps just before midnight, leaving her in a conundrum. Her lack of fuel of course becomes seriously troubling once she's crossed paths with a killer.
The film propels Harper's character through a series of incidents as she plays a cat-and-mouse game with her assailant, and it's during the midsection that the film starts to feel a bit clunky, culminating in a fitting albeit not particularly thrilling finale. No less, Harper possesses a down-to-earth realism here, and Richard Romanus is effective as the voiceless assailant hot on her heels.
All in all, "Night Terror" is a decent suspense thriller that is exemplary of the period in which it was made. It is a straightforward, no-frills TV movie of the week that, despite some clunky pacing in its midsection, has just enough atmosphere and a handful of suspenseful situations that make it worth viewing. 6/10.