The Story:
In the shadowed mists of 18th-century Transylvania, the hideous witch Bardella (Barbara Steele) terrorizes the village of Vaubrac until the enraged townsfolk, led by Count von Helsing’s ancestor, bind her in chains and drown her in a cursed lake, vowing her evil spirit will return for vengeance; two centuries later, in present-day 1966, carefree British newlyweds Philip Waddell (Ian Ogilvy) and Veronica (Barbara Steele) arrive for a romantic holiday, checking into the dingy inn run by the sleazy Ladislas (Mel Welles), unaware that the same forsaken village harbors dark secrets beneath its fog-shrouded hills.
As the couple drives through the treacherous mountain roads in their Volkswagen Beetle, a sudden storm forces them off course, plunging their car into the very lake where Bardella met her watery doom; Veronica emerges unscathed but forever changed, her body now a vessel for the vengeful witch’s soul, transforming her into a bloodthirsty she-beast who unleashes terror on the villagers, while Philip, desperately seeking help, turns to the enigmatic Count von Helsing (John Karlsen), a descendant of the witch-hunter, who reveals the ancient curse and prepares for a battle against supernatural evil.
Directed by Michael Reeves, this chilling horror gem from the swinging ’60s weaves a web of possession, revenge, and exorcism in the gothic heart of Transylvania, where beauty becomes beastly and the past rises from the depths to claim its bloody due—dare you witness the she-beast’s wrath?
