The Sentinel
As a young girl, Alison Parker attempted suicide after being traumatized by her father's sexual exploits. Now an elite fashion model, she moves to a Brooklyn Heights apartment building where she encounters a number of bizarre, eccentric tenants and attempts to uncover the building's sinister secret.
Why it matters
A Gothic-tinged supernatural thriller that blends haunted house paranoia with late-70s New York decadence, The Sentinel is a cult oddity that lingers in the shadowy corners of your mind.
- Director Michael Winner trades his usual action flair for creeping dread and unsettling atmosphere rooted in the urban gothic tradition.
- Features a chilling performance by Cristina Raines as Alison, whose fragile psyche anchors the film’s blend of psychological and supernatural horror.
- Practical effects by Bob Keen (later of Hellraiser fame) deliver grotesque, memorable moments that balance the film’s slow-burn tension.
- For fans of 70s occult horror and eerie, character-driven mysteries steeped in religious dread and moral ambiguity.
Director
3 horror films in catalog
Cast
Horror DNA
Gore
0
Slow Burn
100
Psychological
86
Supernatural
100
Creature
0
Disturbing
83
Fun Factor
33
Cerebral
85
Survival
17
Occult
