A young woman feels the need to confront her past by returning to the island she escaped after her parents were murdered in a voodoo sacrifice. She was raised in the way of the natives and has a strong connection to their customs and dark rituals. She was “rescued” by her uncle and sent to the Americas to join high society but a piece of her has never left the strangeness of the island. She brings her daughter, her daughter’s nanny and her husband’s gorgeous secretary (Fay Wray) along with her. The murder of the plantation supervisor just before he can share some info with the husband causes some anxiety. Her uncle is unhappy about her presence and fears the natives have some sinister plans for his niece. She tells him they’ll leave on the next boat out but she lies much to the anger of her uncle. Fay Wray sends her employer Mr. Lane a message that he needs to come to the island… his wife ain’t happy about it. The nanny meets her end by being tossed into a lava pit and uncle finally shares his concerns with Mr. Lane. Looks like the natives see Mrs. Lane as some sort of goddess and she’s so mentally broken that she believes it herself. This places her family in grave danger as the natives grow restless and the intruders run out of time. Shockingly thrilling and atmospheric pre-code horror doesn’t really putz around all that much and has some stunning visuals bringing about fond recollections of Val Lewton. The racism is there, so you pretty much have to treat it like that out-of-touch elderly relative that’s mumbling to themselves at every family party. So you may be able to tell yourself it’s a victim to its own time but you’ll still be squirming.
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