In the pantheon of 1960s horror cinema, It! (1967) is less a towering monolith and more a crumbling relic, notable more for its quirks than its craft. Directed by Herbert J. Leder and starring the ever-compelling Roddy McDowall, the film is a largely forgettable take on the age-old golem under control story. Despite its shortcomings, McDowall’s eccentric performance breathes a glimmer of life into what might otherwise have been a plodding exercise in horror tropes.

The plot is simple, perhaps too much so: McDowall’s character, Arthur Pimm, discovers a golem—a hulking, indestructible creature bound by supernatural forces—and sets about using it to satisfy his ambitions. As is typical for the subgenre, things spiral out of control, with the golem proving as dangerous to its master as it is to his enemies. The beats are predictable, with little in the way of innovation to distinguish It! from earlier iterations of the golem legend.

What does elevate the film, however, is McDowall’s signature flair. As Arthur, he leans into the character’s unhinged qualities, delivering a performance that teeters on the edge of camp without ever fully succumbing to it. His manic energy provides the film with a pulse it sorely needs, and his interactions with the golem often border on absurd, imbuing the proceedings with a strange, almost comedic undercurrent. It’s a testament to McDowall’s talent that he can command the viewer’s attention even when the script gives him so little to work with.

Visually, It! is serviceable but uninspired. The golem itself is a hulking, imposing presence, though the film rarely exploits its potential for genuine terror. Instead, the creature feels more like a prop than a fully realized character, a missed opportunity in a film that could have used a stronger antagonist.

For all its faults, It! remains a curious artifact of its time, a low-budget horror film that leans heavily on its star to carry the weight of its thin premise. While the film’s narrative and pacing leave much to be desired, McDowall’s performance provides just enough intrigue to keep the viewer from completely disengaging.

Ultimately, It! is a middling effort, an uninspired retelling of a familiar story that offers little new to the genre. Still, for fans of Roddy McDowall or those with a soft spot for obscure 1960s horror, it’s worth a watch—if only for a glimpse of McDowall’s eccentric genius.

• Saul Muerte