Engineer Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) meets and marries Irena, a Serbian immigrant (Simone Simon), who is fascinated by the big cats at the zoo and who worries that she herself may be descended from the were-panthers of her homeland. Although Oliver tries to help her, Irena’s beliefs put a strain on their relationship, as does Oliver’s friendship with a coworker (Jane Randolph) — a coworker who begins to fear that she is being stalked by some sort of shadowy creature. Can psychiatrist Louis Judd (Tom Conway) help Irena out? Producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur craft a moody, suspenseful film with but few missteps. I was aware of this movie’s effectiveness as a horror film long before I first saw it, as my dad had recollections of the impact of seeing it as a youth, and it has held up for me each time I’ve watched it.

  Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.