Patrick (1978)

Director:

Richard Franklin

Writer:

Everett De Roche (written by)

Release Date:

7 September 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

He's in a coma... Yet, he can kill...

Plot:

A comatose hospital patient harasses and kills though his powers of telekinesis to claim his private nurse as his own.

Plot Keywords:

Bath | Female Nudity | Telekinesis | Extrasensory Perception | Hospital

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Susan Penhaligon	...	Kathy Jacquard
Robert Helpmann	...	Dr. Roget
Rod Mullinar	...	Ed Jacquard
Bruce Barry	...	Dr. Brian Wright
Julia Blake	...	Matron Cassidy
Helen Hemingway	...	Sister Williams
María Mercedes	...	Nurse Panicale
Robert Thompson	...	Patrick
Walter Pym	...	Capt. Fraser
Frank Wilson	...	Det. Sgt. Grant
Carole-Ann Aylett	...	Patrick's Mother
Paul Young	...	Lover
Marilyn Rodgers	...	Day Desk nurse
Peggy Nichols	...	Night Desk Nurse
John Murphy	...	Barman

Runtime:

112 min | 140 min (original cut) | USA:96 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Alfred Hospital, Prahran, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Filmways Australasian

Quotes:

[to Kathy Jacquard who is applying for a job as a nurse]
Matron Cassidy: Why did you choose the Roget Clinic, Mrs. Jacquard? We tend to attract certain types - lesbians, nymphomaniacs, enema specialists...”

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Is he REALLY asleep?

The later 70's saw a handful of films about people with psychic powers, but this little-known thriller from Australia may just be the most unique of them all.

Nurse comes under the spell of her seemingly comatose patient, whose intense psychic powers are menacing the people around her.

Patrick is a bizarre, yet oddly moving film that benefits strongly from its off-beat and ultimately unpredictable story. It's a tale that manages to side-step clichés to become not only a brooding chiller, but a weird love story as well. There's an occasional good bit of suspense and shock that keeps the tension high. The story also possesses a strange sense of the erotic. Granted, the plot is a bit slow in pace but Richard Franklin's direction and a good cast help to carry it well.

Star Susan Penhaligon does a throughly good performance as the films heroine/victim. Rod Mulliner is good as Penhaligon's troubled husband, as is Bruce Barry as her boyfriend. Robert Thompson is also a stand-out as the films menacing title character. Even though Thompson spends most of the film lying in silence he still conveys a threatening presence, he's just that good of an actor.

For those seeking a left-field thriller that's thoughtfully well done, Patrick may just be your date.

*** 1/2 out of ****