The Tingler
A pathologist’s theory that fear creates a hidden creature becomes a lurid, campy nightmare of autopsies, adultery, screams, and theatrical shocks.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- campy
- lurid
- surreal
- midnight horror screening
- drive-in movie night
What critics said
Critics and later cult audiences broadly recognize the film as a brisk, entertainingly ludicrous showcase for Vincent Price and William Castle’s theatrical showmanship, despite its implausible screenplay and modest production values.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
William Castle promoted Percepto devices that electrically vibrated theater seats during the climax, making spectators part of the scare mechanism.
Dr. Warren Chapin theorizes that fear generates a creature inside the human body, called the Tingler, which grows when terror is suppressed.
The film pairs autopsies, LSD-induced nightmares, marital intrigue, and a plastic spinal creature with intentionally extravagant performances and situations.
The Tingler is governed by the theory that screaming releases fear and prevents the creature from growing, making screams central to the plot's logic.
Films like The Tingler, and why
The Blob
campy science fiction horror, theatrical gimmickry, and an absurd monster premise
House on Haunted Hill
black-and-white monster horror, morbid scientific experimentation, and heightened melodrama
The Little Shop of Horrors
self-aware horror spectacle, outrageous premise, and playful audience manipulation
Movie Details
- Director
- William Castle
- Release Date
- 1959-07-29
- Runtime
- 82 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (203)
Cast
- Vincent Price
- Philip Coolidge
- Judith Evelyn
- Darryl Hickman
- Pamela Lincoln
- Patricia Cutts
- William Castle
- Bob Gunderson
- Dal McKennon
- Leon Alton
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, FlixFling, IndieFlix, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Tingler about?
- A pathologist’s theory that fear creates a hidden creature becomes a lurid, campy nightmare of autopsies, adultery, screams, and theatrical shocks.
- What is The Tingler like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Tingler as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Tingler violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Tingler as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Tingler?
- Critics and later cult audiences broadly recognize the film as a brisk, entertainingly ludicrous showcase for Vincent Price and William Castle’s theatrical showmanship, despite its implausible screenplay and modest production values.
- Which films are like The Tingler?
- Films with a similar feel include The Blob, House on Haunted Hill, and The Little Shop of Horrors.
- How long is The Tingler?
- The Tingler runs 82 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Tingler?
- In United States, The Tingler streams on fuboTV, FlixFling, IndieFlix, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
