Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- lurid
- campy
- tense
- classic horror night
- cult movie marathon
What critics said
Modern critics generally appreciate the film as an entertaining cult psycho-biddy thriller, while contemporary critics found its melodrama, predictability, and violence crude.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lucy Harbin's return from an asylum turns a mother-daughter reunion into lurid domestic suspense led by Joan Crawford.
The plot repeatedly raises the question of whether Lucy is repeating her earlier murders while directing suspicion around the family.
William Castle's production and the film's drive-in promotion, including Crawford appearances, frame the movie as an event horror attraction.
Family homes, reunion scenes, and axe murders are staged through heightened performances and sensational suspense.
Films like Strait-Jacket, and why
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
shared psycho-biddy horror, aging female menace, lurid melodrama, and camp appeal
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
shared proto-slasher structure, psychological suspense, domestic murder, and older-woman horror
The Night Walker
shared william castle showmanship, mystery plotting, gothic atmosphere, and theatrical horror
Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?
shared campy psychological horror, family dysfunction, and murder-driven suspense
Movie Details
- Director
- William Castle
- Release Date
- 1964-01-19
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (136)
Cast
- Joan Crawford
- Diane Baker
- Leif Erickson
- Howard St. John
- John Anthony Hayes
- Rochelle Hudson
- George Kennedy
- Edith Atwater
- Mitchell Cox
- Lee Majors
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Strait-Jacket about?
- A released asylum inmate attempts to rebuild her relationship with her daughter as a new series of axe murders revives fears of her violent past.
- What is Strait-Jacket like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Strait-Jacket as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Strait-Jacket violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Strait-Jacket as graphic.
- What did critics think of Strait-Jacket?
- Modern critics generally appreciate the film as an entertaining cult psycho-biddy thriller, while contemporary critics found its melodrama, predictability, and violence crude.
- Which films are like Strait-Jacket?
- Films with a similar feel include What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, The Night Walker, and Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?.
- How long is Strait-Jacket?
- Strait-Jacket runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Strait-Jacket?
- In United States, Strait-Jacket is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
