MADE in the aftermath of Carrie (1976) and clearly with the idea of replicating the success of Brian De Palma’s psychokinetic thriller in mind, Patrick is very much a film of its time.
Made in Australia and released globally in 1978, it may be re-treading familiar ground, but it does so with enough style and purpose to make it still well worth seeing in 2024.
A new Blu-ray and 4K UHD release through Indicator offers the perfect opportunity for a little critical reappraisal of the film today. While Carrie was clearly a huge influence on director Richard Franklin, there’s a wider sense of classic Hitchcock about Patrick that really sets it apart from the cult crowd. Given that the great English director had acted as something of a mentor to Franklin when he was young film-maker, that perhaps shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
We first meet the title character (played to fine effect by Robert Thompson, who could glare for his country if such a sport were ever invented) as he’s brutally killing off his mother and her lover in an act of oedipal rage. Once done, and possibly traumatised by his own actions, he then slumps into a deep coma.
While in this vegetative state, Patrick is looked after by a certain Dr Roget (played by Robert Helpman) who cuts quite a sinister figure and may not be all that he first appears to be. Regardless of his condition, Patrick appears to take a shine to a new nurse on the ward, played by eternal English rose Susan Penhaligon, and, despite his inanimate state, starts murdering anyone threatening to come between them.
Read more:
Action wise, this is a bit of a slow-burner, although Franklin ratchets up the tension quite effectively until the whole thing winds up in a certifiably bonkers ending that practically beggars belief with its utter silliness.
There’s a very Hitchcockian script from Everett De Roche and a score from Aussie composer Brian May that clearly shows its Bernard Hermann roots, but perhaps the film this whole project most mirrors is Jack Gold’s criminally undervalued Medusa Touch. In that, a comatose Richard Burton spends much of the film’s running time lying stock still in a hospital bed willing all kinds of nasty things to happen to his fellow man, and while I’m sure Robert Thompson wouldn’t dream of comparing himself to king scenery cruncher Mr Burton, the parallels seem too clear to be written off as merely co-incidental.
Low budget and derivative as it may have been, Patrick enjoyed enough acclaim internationally to see an utterly nuts Italian-made sequel called Patrick vive Ancora (Patrick’s Still Alive) creep out a full two years later.
Indicator have restored the original rather swishly in 4K, though, and added a plethora of impressive extras, from director’s commentary tracks to Italian language dubs and even an alternate musical score from Goblin to sweeten the deal a little further, but really, Patrick is strong enough to stand proudly on his own two feet.
Wide-eyed and crazy, it’s a kinetically charged thrill ride that deserves to come back from the dead one more time at least.
