The Vault of Horror

Five strangers ride an elevator that drops them into a windowless basement vault with no way out. The Vault of Horror (1973) is an Amicus horror anthology you can watch online on iFILM. While they wait for a host who never comes, each man recounts the nightmare that keeps haunting him.

The five tales pull in wildly different directions. A stiff Englishman in an Indian town meets vampires in the last place he'd look. An obsessive neat freak sets out to break his slovenly wife. Two con men stage their own funeral for an insurance payout. A painter discovers that whatever death he puts on canvas comes true. Director Roy Ward Baker lines up a sharp British cast — Terry-Thomas, Glynis Johns, Curd Jürgens, Denholm Elliott and a young Tom Baker, soon to be Doctor Who.

This is the direct follow-up to Tales from the Crypt, both drawn from EC Comics. Forget gore and shock — the horror here runs on irony, comeuppance and tidy poetic justice. A great pick for fans of vintage portmanteau chillers with a wicked streak of comedy. Stream The Vault of Horror (1973) online on iFILM.