Underplayed Gems

Of Unknown Origin (1983)

Of Unknown Origin poster
Directed by
George P. Cosmatos
Genre
horror film
Country
United States, Canada
Runtime
1h 28m
Rated
R
Rating
5.8 of 10 from 113 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

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How it feels

A mild-mannered Manhattan banker becomes fixated on killing a rat that has gotten into his renovated brownstone. His obsession escalates, turning him destructive and paranoid.

tenseobsessiveclaustrophobicunsettlingslow-burnpsychologicalgrimrelentless

What happens

Of Unknown Origin is a 1983 psychological horror film directed by George P. Cosmatos in his North American film debut, and starring Peter Weller, Jennifer Dale, Lawrence Dane, Maury Chaykin, Kenneth Welsh, Louis Del Grande and Shannon Tweed in her film debut. Based on the 1979 novel The Visitor by Chauncey G. Parker III, it focuses on a mild-mannered Manhattan banker who becomes increasingly obsessive and destructive in his attempts to kill a rat loose in his renovated brownstone. The film's title refers to the misconception (repeated in the film) that rats have no known origin. A co-production between Canada and the United States, the film was primarily shot in Montreal, with some additional shooting taking place in New York City. The film was released theatrically on November 24, 1983, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with much praise for Weller's leading performance. Writer Stephen King has named it one of his favorite horror films. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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