Nightmare Castle 1965

Nightmare Castle (1965) is a classic Italian Gothic horror film directed by Mario Caiano, starring Barbara Steele in a dual role as the unfaithful wife Muriel and her innocent stepsister Jenny. The story follows Dr. Stephen Arrowsmith (Paul Muller), a sadistic scientist who discovers his wife Muriel's affair with the gardener David, leading him to torture and murder them before preserving their hearts.

Plot Summary
Arrowsmith marries Muriel's mentally fragile stepsister Jenny to secure the family fortune, using his rejuvenated servant Solange to haunt her with nightmares and ghostly apparitions of the dead lovers. As Jenny's sanity unravels, a doctor investigates the castle's supernatural occurrences, uncovering the hidden hearts that fuel the vengeful spirits. The ghosts ultimately exact revenge by burning Arrowsmith alive and draining Solange's blood, allowing Jenny to escape after the hearts are destroyed.

Key Cast and Style
Barbara Steele delivers a standout performance in her dual role, blending vulnerability and menace, supported by Paul Muller as the unhinged doctor and a haunting Ennio Morricone score. The black-and-white cinematography creates a moody, atmospheric Gothic vibe with castle shadows, torture scenes, and eerie dream sequences. Known also as The Faceless Monster or Amanti d'Oltretomba, it exemplifies mid-1960s Italian horror with revenge-from-the-grave tropes.