Psyche 59 is directed by Alexander Singer and adapted to screenplay by Julian Zimet from the novel written by Francoise des Ligneris. It stars Patricia Neal, Curd Jurgens, Samantha Eggar, Ian Bannen and Beatrix Lehmann. Music is by Kenneth V. Jones and cinematography by Walter Lassally.

Blind Alison Crawford (Neal) lives with her husband Eric (Jurgens) and finds the equilibrium of life upset when her young sister Robin (Eggar) comes to stay. It seems there are secrets to will out, both with Robin and the matter of how Alison came to be blind.

A strange, almost hypnotic type of movie, Psyche 59 aims to be a Freudian thriller but just misses the mark of being great. The set up is intriguing, the twists risqué and the photography suitably moody. Neal gives a fine performance as the afflicted Alison, both physically and emotionally, Eggar is super sultry and raises the temperatures considerably, while both Bannen and Jurgens are fine considering the former is under written and the latter gets a character arc that's a bit of a stretch. Unfortunately the pay off is hopelessly weak, the whole build up holds the attention, you sense we are heading for great dramatic denouement, but sadly that's not the case and it leaves a disappointing taste in the mouth. 6/10

PSYCHE 59 is a film I really struggled with. It's posited as a blind-woman-in-peril thriller, and even B-movies in that particular genre are pretty good and enjoyable; it says something that they're still making them even now, long after they first gained popularity in the 1950s. Sadly, this movie goes for the pseudo highbrow, psychological, arty approach and as a result it's a vapid mess. It reminded me of some of those dull and dated Pinter adaptations that critics rave about and viewers snore over. This one's a four-hander in which Patricia Neal goes blind for no real reason while her shady husband Curt Jurgens looks after her. Samantha Eggar gets the most memorable role as a saucepot, regularly stripping to her underwear; her sexuality is the most important thing in the movie and the only memorable thing about it. Ian Bannon feels a bit extraneous although strives hard in his early role. The film is slow, talky, and lacking in any kind of suspense or atmosphere; a dud, in other words.

Two fabulous actresses are absolutely wasted in this dreadful sex melodrama that was probably too forgettable to end up on critic's worst list. Patricia Neal tries her best to add class into this tasteless combination of sisterly rivalry and smut that I label "A Patch of Blue Movies".

Patricia is a blind woman trying to remember what lead her to become blind, unaware that her husband (Curt Bergens) is trying to seduce her much younger sister (Samantha Eggar) who taunts him while Neal blindly sits by, unaware at first. But the blind have great insight, one thing that the film did get right, and if you haven't nodded off by the time Neal figures this out, then you might go into shock that something with thought behind it just happened.

This is painful to get through, a combination of its trashiness and abuse to Neal's character. From her husband, sister, harridan mother in law. They are all slime. Films that utilize sex to move the plot forward or develop one are fine, but this one seems to be getting off on its perversion. I admire Neal for taking on bold roles, but this one makes me winder what she saw when she read the script.