Some horror films rely on monsters and sudden scares, while others find terror in the emotions people struggle to escape. Donald Sutherland explored that darker territory in Don’t Look Now, a 1973 film that turned parental grief into a chilling supernatural mystery.
Directed by Nicolas Roeg, Don’t Look Now held its world premiere in the United Kingdom in October 1973 before opening in the United States later that December.
Adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s short story, the film follows John Baxter (Sutherland), a restoration expert, and his wife, Laura (Julie Christie), who travel to Venice after their young daughter drowns.
John takes a job restoring an old church, but the Italian city offers little comfort to the grieving couple. They meet two sisters, one of whom is blind and claims to communicate with the dead. She reassures Laura that their daughter is happy but warns John that staying in Venice puts him in danger.
John dismisses the warning but begins seeing a figure in a red raincoat resembling his dead daughter. As the sightings continue, his grief and growing unease blur the line between reality and the supernatural.
In 2015, Sutherland spoke out against plans to remake the film, which is considered one of the best British horror films of the 1970s.
“Don’t embarrass yourselves by participating in it,” he told Metro. “It’s [expletive]. It was a piece of work indelibly written by Nicolas Roeg. It’s about a family. It’s about death; about having a child pre-decease you. It’s about love. It’s about extra-sensory perception.”
The acclaimed actor called the proposed remake a shameful attempt to profit from Roeg’s work.
“Don’t bother doing that [remaking it],” Sutherland continued. “Why do they do it? It’s just people wanting profit, trying to profit off the back of Nicolas Roeg, and something that’s very beautiful. It’s shameful. They should be ashamed of themselves.”
Why Donald Sutherland’s 1973 Film Earns a Place Among Horror’s Best
Don’t Look Now was generally well received upon release, although some critics found Roeg’s approach overly stylized or emotionally distant. Its reputation only grew in the decades that followed.
The film currently holds a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 84 reviews. Critics have praised the film’s eerie imagery and sounds as well as its emotional depth.
“Don’t Look Now patiently builds suspense with haunting imagery and a chilling score — causing viewers to feel Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie’s grief deep within,” Rotten Tomatoes’ critics’ consensus said.
Its recognition extends to Time Out’s selection of the genre’s standout films. The publication ranked it No. 13 on its updated 2026 list of the 100 best horror movies of all time.
According to Time Out, Roeg’s adaptation “isn’t just a masterpiece of terror, it’s also a work of bottomless empathy and slender, spectral beauty.”
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