"Patrick" of 1978 is a slow-paced yet effective and weird little Austalian Horror film, that often seems like a drama more than a supernatural thriller. It is not an easy film to rate, but it sure was something completely different than I had expected before I first saw this. While I had expected to see a blood-soaked slasher, "Patrick" turned out to be a quite calm and slow-paced, but nonetheless eerie Thriller with a surprisingly elaborate plot...
Kathy (Susan Penhaligon), a young nurse who lives separated from her husband, finds a job in a mental hospital. As usual for new nurses, Kathy is assigned to care for Patrick (Robert Thompson), a sinister young comatose patient with an unholy past. While Patrick's only activity is his occasional spitting, the comatose man seems strangely alive...
While the film will probably not keep you on the edge of your chair in fear from the beginning to the end, it certainly delivers a certain tense and eerie atmosphere. This is not your film if you're looking for tons of blood and gore. To my surprise, "Patrick" was almost gore-less. Nevertheless, this film is definitely worth watching, both for its original storyline, and its eerie mood. The acting performances are good, though in no way outstanding. While Susan Penhaligon fits well in her role, I can't say that her performance impressed me. Robert Halperman and Julie Blake are very convincing in their roles, and even though the role may not call for the greatest acting skills, I must say that Robert Thompson was genuinely creepy as the eponymous character. There are two different scores for this version, one by Brian May for the Australian version, and one by Goblin for the European version. Even though European, my DVD (unfortunately) contains the Brian May score. Unfortunately, since as a hardcore fan of Italian Horror, Goblin-scores have become some of my favorite film soundtracks (and some of my favorite music to listen to). I will happily watch the movie again with the Goblin score, however.
"Patrick" may be a bit too slow-paced at times. Especially the strong focus on Kathy's private troubles is a bit superfluous. Nevertheless, this is an interesting little Horror film that true genre-fans will not regret watching. Especially recommendable for the eerie atmosphere! 6/10
