Frankenstein wins, Count can suck it. In addition to that awesomely frightening occurence, The Body Snatcher succeeds immensely in delivering great horror, and more prominently, an intense thriller of one's subconscious caught deep in death's dealings. The layers reveal themselves perfectly through the player's connections, and the unseen history somehow managed to evoke just as much. In the end though, it was still Karloff that stole the show with his truly threatening and monstrous character.

Literate script, tasteful direction and a truly menacing Boris Karloff performance. One of producer Val Lewton's best films.

75.125

Dark, classic horror. The whole cast is admirable, but Boris Karloff absolutely steals the show with a great performance. Wise's tight directing and an unforgettable ending make this a must see Val Lewton horror.

It takes a really long time to get going, but holy crap what an ending. This might be my favorite Karloff performance, too.

A very dark, violent, fun movie. Boris Karloff is superb as the grave robber. He makes the character so creepy and interesting. His charisma and subtly sinister smirk - he's just so fun to watch. Bella Lugosi is also good in his small role, and Henry Daniell does a good job as the dark-hearted doctor. With its intriguing plot, great gothic style and unforgettable performance by Karloff, this is one of my favorite Lewton films.

Another well done RKO horror flick. Karloff and Lugosi have shared the screen plenty of times, and their performances here are particularly effective. Once again, Val Lewton and the folks at RKO give us a well-shot horror movie, with a smart script and a unique historical backdrop.

Having watched the Frankenstein movies more times than I care to count, I think I took Karloff for granted. In this, he's absolutely brilliant. One of the best villain performances I've seen.

Not a favourite from the Val Lewton horror films, but it's a great feeling to see Boris Karloff centre stage and stealing the entire film from everyone else.

Good Val Lewton with good performances, particularly by Daniell and Karloff.

It's a B-movie through and through, but thanks to great source material and good lead performances it's a real pleasure to watch.

The best of the Val Lewtons

Not really "horror" in a supernatural way--the body snatcher title refers to grave robbers in England. I'd call it more of a psychological drama. Either way--Boris Karloff gives a great performance, and I love watching it for that reason!

Dark and daring! Karloff is wonderful as a frightening and evil fellow, and the rest of the cast are quite good. Lugosi's role is a small but welcome one.

Karloff, a hard working blue-collar man in 19th century Scotland takes up grave-robbery as a means of making some extra cash to support his family. Great cast and crew come together for this creepy gem!

Another excellent and atmospheric film from producer Val Lewton. The direction of Wise is controlled and makes wonderful use of light and shadow. Karloff is appropriately creepy as the mysterious cabman, the presence of the singing girl contributes both sadness and tension to the overall mood, and the ending is extremely well-executed.

Marvelous horror starring a very snide, cynical Daniell and Karloff doing probably his best work ever as a lecherous grave robber. Lugosi is in there too, albeit briefly, and in unusually toned down form, doing fine work as well. Couple this with asured and tight work from director Wise and you've got the best of the classic Val Lewton horrors.

"You could not have gotten this body fairly!", wails the young doctor. Well, d'oh. What did you expect? It's Boris Karloff sporting a long, black jacket, an evil grin and a nasty general disposition! Oh yeah. And a superb finish. "Neverridofme... neverridofme... neverridofme!!!"

Another remarkable horror flick from Val Lewton that baffles in its talent [especially in lighting / acting] & production design on a B-level budget. The finest of Lewton's work along with his Jacques Tourneur collaborations. Karloff is particularly amazing here.

Boris is at his menacing best as a 19th-century grave robber. The film sports a terrifically chilling ending.