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Someone Behind the Door, is a 1971 French crime-drama film directed by Nicolas Gessner. In the UK, it was twice retitled as Two Minds For Murder, a (theatrical title) and Brainkill, a (VHS title). It is based on a novel by Jacques Robert. The film was shot on location in Folkestone, England.
A neurosurgeon and psychiatrist manipulates an amnesiac to murder his wife's lover, believing that the patient will have no memory of what he has done, providing the surgeon with a perfect alibi.
A neurosurgeon and psychiatrist manipulates an amnesiac to murder his wife's lover, believing that the patient will have no memory of what he has done, providing the surgeon with a perfect alibi.
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00:00We're talking about the French crime drama masterpiece, Someone Behind the Door.
00:05It's a film that plays with your mind, twists your stomach, and leaves you questioning the
00:09very nature of memory and manipulation.
00:12If you love stories where the villain is also the genius, stay tuned, because this one is
00:17a masterclass in calculated terror.
00:19The film's identity, names and origins.
00:22First, let's establish what this movie is and where it came from.
00:26Someone Behind the Door is a 1971 French crime drama film.
00:30It's a movie that, while French in origin and production, has a very distinct international
00:35flavor, which we'll discuss more in a moment.
00:38The film was directed by Nicolas Gessner.
00:41Gessner is a director known for his ability to craft tight, suspenseful narratives, and
00:45here he truly excels.
00:47He takes a simple, sinister premise and stretches it out into a tense, feature-length experience
00:52that keeps you guessing, even when you think you know the game being played.
00:56The way he frames the shots, the cold, clinical look he gives the settings, it all adds to
01:01the atmosphere of dread.
01:03The confusing titles.
01:05Now, for those of you trying to find this film on physical media or through streaming services,
01:10be warned.
01:11This movie has had a bit of an identity crisis, especially in the United Kingdom.
01:15When it was released in the UK, it was given a new name for its run in theaters.
01:19The film was retitled Two Minds for Murder.
01:23That title actually gives away a lot about the plot, focusing on the mental game being
01:27played between the two main characters.
01:29It is a serviceable title, but it lacks the poetic menace of the original.
01:34Later, when the film transitioned to the home video market, specifically on VHS tapes, it
01:39was retitled yet again.
01:41This time, it became Brain Kill.
01:44Now that is a much more aggressive, pulpy title, perfect for the video store shelves of
01:48the late 70s and early 80s.
01:50It emphasizes the mental and surgical aspects of the plot in a very direct way.
01:55So, whether you know it as someone behind the door, Two Minds for Murder, or Brain Kill,
02:00you are talking about the exact same, nerve-wracking movie.
02:04The literary source.
02:06The story itself isn't an original screenplay.
02:08It is based on a novel written by Jacques Robert.
02:11This is an important detail.
02:13When a film is based on a novel, it often means the plot is complex, the characters are
02:18well-developed, and the psychological groundwork is solid.
02:22Robert's novel provided a brilliant blueprint for Gessner to build his film upon.
02:26It established the core concept, a murder that is designed to be untraceable because
02:30the killer is not mentally present.
02:33Setting the scene.
02:34Folkestone, England.
02:35Perhaps the most surprising detail about this French film is its setting.
02:39Someone behind the door was shot on location in Folkestone, England.
02:44Folkestone is a charming coastal town, and its distinct look, often foggy, sometimes dreary,
02:49with dramatic coastal cliffs and older architecture, lends an incredibly effective, unsettling atmosphere
02:55to the film.
02:57The choice of Folkestone is brilliant because it gives the film a detached, almost isolated
03:01feeling.
03:02The action takes place in a world that seems self-contained, perfect for the closed-room
03:07psychological games that are the heart of the story.
03:10You get the sense that the main characters are cut off from the rest of the world, allowing
03:14the main manipulator to operate without fear of interference.
03:18The visuals of the English coast contrast sharply with the cold, scientific setting of the surgeon's
03:23life, creating a constant sense of unease.
03:26This isn't your typical sunny European crime film.
03:29It is overcast, moody, and perfect for a plot involving manipulation and murder.
03:35The diabolical plot, a perfect alibi.
03:37Now, let's get into the central, deeply unsettling concept that makes someone behind the door a
03:42must-see for thriller enthusiasts.
03:45This is where the film earns its reputation as a psychological mind-bender.
03:49The story centers around a man who is both a neurosurgeon and a psychiatrist.
03:54This dual profession is crucial.
03:56He possesses the medical knowledge to physically alter the brain and the psychological training
04:00to manipulate the mind.
04:02He is the ultimate puppet master.
04:04Let's call him the surgeon.
04:06The surgeon is facing a devastating personal problem.
04:09His wife is having an affair.
04:11The classic motive for murder, certainly, but the surgeon is too intelligent and too calculated
04:16to use a simple, messy method that would land him in jail.
04:19He devises a scheme so complex and ingenious that it would guarantee him a perfect alibi.
04:24The target, the amnesiac.
04:27His plan revolves around a patient.
04:29This patient is an amnesiac.
04:32He has suffered a severe memory loss and cannot recall who he is, where he came from, or anything
04:37about his past actions.
04:39This patient is the surgeon's perfect weapon.
04:42The surgeon's scheme is simple in its execution, but chilling in its cold-hearted logic.
04:46He manipulates the amnesiac to murder his wife's lover.
04:49The manipulation is the core of the film.
04:52The surgeon uses his psychiatric skills to feed the patient information, stories, and
04:57suggestions that are designed to trigger a homicidal impulse directed specifically at
05:01the lover.
05:02He might convince the patient that the lover is a danger, or somehow responsible for the
05:07amnesia, or perhaps just a general threat that needs to be eliminated.
05:10The film explores the terrifying power of suggestion when applied to a mind that is essentially a
05:16blank slate.
05:17The surgeon is literally writing a new narrative onto his patient's brain, a narrative that
05:22ends in murder.
05:23The perfect alibi, the blank slate.
05:26The genius of the surgeon's plan lies in his belief, which is a major suspense point for
05:30the audience, that the patient will have absolutely no memory of what he has done.
05:35Think about that for a moment.
05:36If the patient commits the murder, the surgeon is miles away, providing his perfect alibi.
05:42When the police question the patient, he will genuinely have no recollection of the crime.
05:47How do you prosecute a killer who can't even remember his own name, let alone the act of
05:51murder?
05:52From the surgeon's perspective, the process is flawless.
05:56The motive is eliminated.
05:57The lover is dead.
05:58The killer is untraceable.
06:00The patient has no memory to offer the police.
06:03There are no conscious links to the surgeon.
06:05The surgeon is safe.
06:07He can point to the killer, who is clearly unstable and without a clear motive from his
06:11own perspective, while he himself is completely out of the picture.
06:15This is what makes the film so terrifying.
06:17It takes the concept of the perfect crime and puts it into a medical and psychological
06:21context.
06:23It asks a profound ethical question.
06:25Can science be used not only to heal but also to orchestrate ultimate evil?
06:29A deep dive into the psychological terror.
06:32What someone behind the door does best is explore the unsettling relationship between
06:36the manipulator and the manipulated.
06:39The film is less about the eventual crime and more about the intricate, disturbing process
06:43leading up to it.
06:45The surgeon is not a frantic, wild-eyed villain.
06:48He is calm, collected, and utterly methodical.
06:51He views the amnesiac not as a person, but as a surgical tool, a piece of equipment to be
06:56programmed and deployed.
06:58This clinical coldness is the source of the film's pervasive dread.
07:02Memory and identity.
07:03The film makes us think deeply about memory and identity.
07:07If the amnesiac has no memory of his past, who is he?
07:11He is defined entirely by the present moment, and the surgeon takes advantage of this vulnerable
07:15state.
07:16The surgeon is essentially creating a temporary, homicidal identity for the patient.
07:21The audience is constantly waiting for the patient's memory to return.
07:25Will the traumatic act of murder be the trigger that brings back his past?
07:29Will he suddenly remember the surgeon's manipulation?
07:32The suspense is built on this precarious balance, the surgeon's control versus the patient's potential
07:37for regained consciousness.
07:39Every close-up of the amnesiac's confused, searching eyes is a moment of pure tension.
07:44We are desperate for him to remember, to escape, to fight back.
07:48The morality of the professional.
07:51Another powerful theme is the corruption of professional trust.
07:54The surgeon is a figure society trusts completely, a doctor, a healer, a man of science.
08:00Yet, he uses his most sacred skills, the ability to understand and heal the human mind, to commit
08:06a calculated act of violence.
08:09This betrayal of the Hippocratic Oath adds a layer of moral horror to the story.
08:13He is committing murder from the safety of his respected position, using his knowledge
08:18as a shield and a weapon.
08:20The chess match.
08:21At its heart, someone behind the door is a psychological chess match.
08:25The surgeon makes the first move, but the patient, despite his amnesia, might still possess
08:30an innate sense of self-preservation or a buried moral compass that could disrupt the plan.
08:35The movie becomes a fascinating duel of wits, even though one of the players doesn't even
08:40know the game is being played.
08:42The film manages to be both claustrophobic, most of the action takes place in close proximity
08:46to the surgeon, and yet vast in its implications about how easily a mind can be broken and remade.
08:53Why this film endures?
08:54A final look.
08:56Someone Behind the Door is a fascinating artifact of early 70s filmmaking.
09:00It combines the moody atmosphere of classic European crime dramas with a very modern, almost
09:05science fiction-like approach to psychological horror.
09:09It endures because the core concept is timeless, the use of knowledge for evil.
09:14It doesn't rely on jump scares or excessive violence, the fear comes entirely from the
09:19sheer, cold logic of the surgeon's plan.
09:22If you are a fan of suspense films that prioritize brainpower over brawn, where the dialogue is just
09:27as important as the action, and where you'll be asking, what if, for days after the credits
09:32roll, then you absolutely need to seek out this film.
09:36Whether you find it as someone behind the door, two minds for murder, or brainkill, you
09:40are in for a truly chilling experience.
09:43It's a powerful reminder that sometimes, the scariest thing in the world is not the monster
09:48lurking in the shadows, but the brilliant, calculating mind behind the professional demeanor.
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