seymourblack-1 Fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this movie's dark, intriguing and moody opening titles which, very simply and effectively, set the scene for the murder mystery that follows. Its deliberate pace, disturbing atmosphere and visual style all contribute to a constant sense of unease and coldness which is often magnified by the rather restrained natures of its two main characters who are interesting to watch because their actions aren't always logical and their motivations aren't consistently clear.A little while after successful Manhattan psychiatrist Dr Sam Rice (Roy Scheider) hears that George Bynum (Josef Sommer), who was one of his patients, has been brutally murdered, Bynum's mistress Brooke Reynolds (Meryl Streep), visits his office to give him her lover's watch so that he can pass it on to Bynum's wife without telling her about their affair. Sam is reluctant to do this but is rushed into agreeing when NYPD Detective Joseph Vitucci (Joe Grifasi) arrives at his office to ask for any information he might have which could help to identify the murderer. Sam tells him that he's unable to help because to do so would involve a breach of patient confidentiality and Vitucci then tells Sam that he could be in danger if the killer thinks that he does, in fact, possess this type of information.After Vitucci leaves, Sam starts to review his records of the sessions he'd had with Bynum during which the serial womaniser (who'd worked as an antiques curator at the upmarket auction house called "Crispin's") had explained how he'd cheated on his wife and dumped his previous mistress to start his affair with Brooke. Furthermore, he'd added that he knew that she'd killed someone in the past and also described a dream he'd had which had left him feeling both puzzled and disturbed.Sam, whose interest in Brooke had been piqued during his sessions with Bynum, finds himself powerfully attracted to her and abandoning his usual cautiousness, decides to try to find out who'd actually murdered his patient. His investigations then put him in extreme danger before some further analysis of Bynum's dream provides him with the breakthrough he'd been seeking."Still of the Night" is a wonderfully atmospheric and elegant-looking thriller that uses numerous Alfred Hitchcock references and motifs that range from passages inspired by "North By Northwest", "Rear Window", "Vertigo" and "Spellbound" to some less obvious ones, such as a mention of an Uncle Charlie ("Shadow of a Doubt") and the technique of suddenly putting the focus on a prop to create suspense (in this case, George Bynum's watch).Although it's essentially a rather lightweight thriller, this movie is very stylish and visually impressive and these qualities combined with its mesmerising performances from Roy Scheider and Meryl Streep result in a higher quality end-result than would otherwise have been possible.

kjhine Forget Hitchcock, and enjoy this film on its own merits. Never mind that it has elements of other films since...Color of Night, So I Married an Axe Murderer, Fatal Attraction, et al. Even a little of Play Misty for Me. You're going to be manipulated, you're going to know that you are being manipulated, and you go along for the ride anyway, thinking she did it, but then maybe that's what I'm supposed to think so maybe she didn't do it...but then they'll think I'm going to think that so maybe she did do it after all..and in the end you decide just to wait and see.Roy Scheider is brilliant in just about everything he does, and Meryl...well, she literally takes your breath away when she walks through the door for the first time. I've never seen her looking more beautiful. And she plays it with the same qualities of Tippi Hedren in both The Birds and Marnie, the same qualities she had in Kramer vs Kramer...nervous, flawed, a bit bewildered, an innocence that is belied by past guilt. Roy's character finds himself atttracted to her even though he's afraid of what he might discover as he digs deeper.Joe Grifasi isn't as clueless as other reviewers have indicated, but you're pretty certain you know what happens to him, if you've seen Fatal Attraction.So...think about all of the Hitchcock elements, all of the afore-mentioned movies after you've watched it, or better yet, watch it again and look for them.It's a nice little psychological thriller, much like others, but still very enjoyable.

SnoopyStyle Dr. Sam Rice (Roy Scheider) is a Manhattan psychiatrist like his mother Grace (Jessica Tandy). He's recently divorced. One of his patients George Bynum has been killed. He is visited by the mysterious Brooke Reynolds (Meryl Streep) who worked with Bynum at the auction house Crispin's. She's also Bynum's mistress. They are interrupted by Detective Vitucci and she accidentally leaves behind a watch. Dr. Rice examines his files on Bynum and suspicions falls on Reynolds.I really like the Hitchcockian touches. I love the laundry room when the lights go out in the hallway. I did not like all the flashback re-examination of his files. The plot loses its way a bit and some of its tension. Meryl Streep is pretty good as the mysterious damsel-in-distress. Although she's not the classic sex bombshell. Scheider is still a good leading man. This could be a much better mystery thriller.

tieman64 A psychological thriller, Robert Benton's "Still of the Night" stars Roy Scheider as a psychologist who falls in love with a woman (Meryl Streep) who may or may not be a psychopathic killer.It quickly becomes apparent that "Still of the Night" is hugely indebted to Alfred Hitchcock. Unfortunately, Benton is no Hitch. Hitchcock was a master of his medium, whilst Benton's merely "aesthetically competent". And where Hitchcock's plots crackle with sexuality, Benton is unable to coax heat out of Streep or Scheider."Night" co-stars Joe Grifasi and Jessica Tandy. The oft-praised Streep overacts, or takes too seriously, a thankless role, though one sequence in which she screams in fright is magnificent. You've never heard a better damsel in distress.6/10 – Worth one viewing. For better Benton flicks, see "Bad Company", "Billy Bathgate" and "Nobody's Fool".