One of the most terrifying films of all time isn’t actually a horror – but it’s left fans too scared to sleep.
It features Emmerdale and Coronation Street star Reece Dinsdale, and was released back in 1984. But with the threat of World War III looming, it’s more timely than ever – and remains ranked high on fans’ lists of the most horrifying things they’ve ever seen.
That film is Threads. It explores the effects of nuclear war on the city of Sheffield, and how civilisation deteriorates after the first bombs are dropped. From cannibalism to radiation burns, the true horror is that the film is rooted in reality.
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Things start off with an ordinary young couple, who are planning to tie the knot after an accidental pregnancy. But soon Sheffield is warned to prepare for nuclear war against the Soviets, and later are forced to live with the effects of the fallout.
(Image: BBC)
With fires raging across the city, civilians are forced to treat gruesome wounds with table salt with medical supplies dwindling. The ash from the explosions blocks all sunlight from the area and leads to mass starvation as crops fail across the globe. Even more terrifyingly, the ozone layer is so damaged that risk of cancer and cataracts is heightened.
After a ten year time skip, we see protagonist Ruth dying in her bed after being blinded by cataracts, while the rest of the population grinds ahead in squalor. At the end of the film, her daughter Jane gives birth to her own child – and the final haunting image viewers get is of her looking down at her unseen baby in absolute horror.
(Image: BBC)
The film was branded a “masterpiece guaranteed to give you nightmares” by the New York Newsday, while VultureHound branded it “the most terrifying film of all time”. The film was also ranked number one on Collider’s “scariest non-horror movies of all time” list – ahead of the musical Cats.
Reece isn’t the only soap star who made his name in the classic flick, as Corrie’s Bernie star Jane Hazlegrove also makes an appearance as a character called Alison Kemp in the film. Even the late Steve Halliwell, best known for his role as Zak Dingle in Emmerdale, pops up.
(Image: BBC)
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The film was the first of its kind to show what a nuclear winter would really be like, with a budget of just £400,000. Despite the relatively low budget, the film received seven BAFTA nominations and won four awards at the ceremony.
It’s even been compared to the harrowing cartoon When the Wind Blows, which shows an elderly couple dealing with the aftermath of nuclear war – with truly chilling consequences.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
