Strongroom Review: A Tense British Crime Classic Returns to Cinemas
Vernon Sewell's outstanding British crime picture from 1962, Strongroom, is receiving a well-deserved re-release, allowing contemporary audiences to experience this taut and tough suspense thriller. Co-scripted by veteran screenwriter Richard Harris, this black-and-white B-movie delivers sensational tension and a grim final shot that lingers in the memory.
The Plot: A Bank Robbery with Deadly Consequences
The film follows Griff, played with menacing intensity by Derren Nesbitt, who leads a trio of robbers in a suburban bank heist. In a particularly cynical touch, Griff gains entry by posing as a postman using his deceased father's uniform. After forcing the straitlaced manager Mr Spencer, portrayed by Colin Gordon, and his demure secretary Miss Taylor, played by Ann Lynn, to open the strongroom, the criminals lock them inside and make their escape.
However, a queasy realization soon settles upon the thieves as they contemplate their next move. What if nobody discovers the imprisoned pair, leaving them to suffocate in the airtight vault? Though unspoken, they understand this could mean capital punishment—murder remained a hanging offence when the film was originally released.
Unexpected Emotional Depth in the Vault
As time runs out for the trapped employees, Strongroom develops an amazingly real and delicately managed almost-romance between Mr Spencer and Miss Taylor. Forced to loosen their clothing in the stifling heat, their inhibitions diminish along with the oxygen supply, creating poignant, platonic intimacy as they confront their mortality.
This emotional subplot adds remarkable depth to what might otherwise be a straightforward crime narrative, elevating the film beyond its B-movie origins.
Staging and Performances of Their Era
The performances reflect British cinema of the early 1960s—stagy yet robust, always plausible and thoroughly watchable. Derren Nesbitt brings a swarthy, non-handsome menace to his role as Griff, the same year he portrayed the unforgettable blackmailer-hoodlum in Basil Dearden's Victim.
Colin Gordon and Ann Lynn deliver nuanced performances that make their characters' predicament genuinely affecting, while the supporting cast maintains the film's tense atmosphere throughout.
A Film That Defies Expectations
Strongroom delivers several substantial shocks, with the most powerful reserved for just before the closing credits. The entire narrative wraps up briskly within 80 minutes, demonstrating efficient storytelling that doesn't waste a moment.
Contemporary audiences might anticipate redemption or a crime-doesn't-pay moral, but the film steadfastly refuses such conventional resolution. This uncompromising approach contributes significantly to its enduring power as a crime thriller.
Rediscovering a Genre Classic
As critic Matthew Sweet has valuably elucidated, B-movies like Strongroom represent an important part of film history. Though often dismissed as cheap support features, they sometimes liberated talented filmmakers to create terrific, unheralded work outside mainstream constraints.
The film itself acknowledges this cinematic tradition through a character who emphasizes the importance of seeing the full programme when going to the cinema—a sentiment that resonates with this re-release initiative.
Availability and Release Details
Strongroom returns to UK and Irish cinemas from 30 January, offering audiences the chance to experience this tense thriller on the big screen. The film will be available on Blu-ray from 23 February and on BFI Player from 23 March, ensuring multiple viewing options for both new audiences and longtime fans of British crime cinema.
This re-release provides an excellent opportunity to rediscover a film that combines suspenseful crime narrative with unexpected emotional resonance, demonstrating why certain B-movies deserve recognition beyond their original supporting feature status.
