Overview
A gritty reporter faces the supernatural in a chilling tale of horror and mystery.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- campy
- dark
- witty
- late night horror viewing
- classic television night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as an unusually effective and entertaining television horror thriller, praised for its quirky characters, dark mood, and strong central performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Carl Kolchak pursues a vampire story while his boss, law enforcement, and civic authorities resist acknowledging the evidence.
Kolchak's abrasive personality and the film's quirky supporting characters offset the dark serial-killer premise.
Young women are attacked and drained of blood in contemporary Las Vegas by a supposedly ancient Romanian vampire.
The sheriff, district attorney, police officials, and Kolchak's newspaper boss obstruct publication of the vampire investigation.
Films like The Night Stalker, and why
The Last Man on Earth
campy supernatural investigation led by a skeptical investigator confronting an impossible killer
Salem's Lot
classic vampire horror combining procedural investigation with atmospheric genre suspense
Fright Night
witty, character-driven horror mystery centered on an unconventional investigator and a supernatural threat
Movie Details
- Director
- John Llewellyn Moxey
- Release Date
- 1972-01-11
- Runtime
- 74 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (137)
Cast
- Darren McGavin
- Carol Lynley
- Simon Oakland
- Ralph Meeker
- Claude Akins
- Charles McGraw
- Kent Smith
- Elisha Cook Jr.
- Stanley Adams
- Larry Linville
Common questions
- What is The Night Stalker about?
- An abrasive Las Vegas reporter risks his career and safety to expose a blood-draining killer who may be a modern vampire.
- What is The Night Stalker like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Night Stalker as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Night Stalker violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Night Stalker as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Night Stalker?
- Critics broadly regard it as an unusually effective and entertaining television horror thriller, praised for its quirky characters, dark mood, and strong central performance.
- Which films are like The Night Stalker?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Man on Earth, Salem's Lot, and Fright Night.
- How long is The Night Stalker?
- The Night Stalker runs 74 minutes.
