Quatermass II is a 1957 Hammer sci-fi / horror which sees Brian Donlevy reprise his role as Professor Bernard Quatermass. Co-written by Nigel Kneale and Val Guest (who also directed), the story concerns an investigation into reports of hundreds of meteorites landing within a small area in the U.K.
Quatermass finds a top-secret facility which, he is told, is being used to manufacture synthetic food. Of course this could not be further from the truth, and the professor and his allies must join forces to try and smash a conspiracy which appears to strike at the heart of the U.K. government.
Quatermass II is a neat little conspiracy thriller which has a real sense of dread throughout its entire running time. It has quite an Invasion of the Body Snatchers vibe about it which, in my opinion, is no bad thing.
The supporting cast here is very good, with the likes of Bryan Forbes and William Frankyln, and also Sid James who, at the time, was best known for playing tough guy roles, a million miles away from the career he eventually carved out in comedy.
The real problem for me is Brian Donlevy as Quatermass. He is perfectly okay but I just do not find him terribly likeable. For me, Andrew Keir will always be the definitive Bernard Quatermass.
Despite reservations about Donlevy, there is much to recommend about Quatermass II. The acting is good, it is never boring, and all in all, it is a highly entertaining conspiracy thriller.
Definitely one to watch.
Anoraks Assemble 
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