The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970) Basil Dearden

While driving one evening, Harold Pelham appears possessed and has a car accident. While on the operating table, there even appears to be two heartbeats on the monitor. When he awakes, Pelham finds his life has been turned upside-down: he learns that he now supports a merger that he once opposed, and that he apparently is having an affair. People claim they have seen him in places that he has never been. Does Pelham have a doppelganger - or is he going insane?

 Despite the extremely improbable premise, this 1970 film boasts one of Roger Moore's most accomplished performances.

The plot, which centres around a staid businessman who "dies" for a few seconds on the operating table following a car crash, recovers and eventually finds out that a doppelganger is intruding in his life, is bizarre, but it is executed with such conviction and believability that the audience is entertained from start to finish.

The suspense builds feverishly, as the doppelganger's intrusive actions increase to an alarming level, whilst Moore's performance is one of eye-popping, progressive hysteria. He steals all the scenes he is in, with the supporting cast being merely bystanders (with the possible exception of the ever-dependable Freddie Jones an an eccentric psychiatrist).

The feeling of helplessness is excellently conveyed and well-maintained right up until the end. The film's resolution is stark and hard-hitting and because it is one we might not have anticipated, the film's credibility is maintained despite the obvious far-fetched nature of the story. However, two car accidents at pivotal moments in the film is a little bit hard-to-stomach and accept!!

Obviously under-rated as a film spectacle by critics, this little gem of a thriller plays with your emotions and keeps you guessing all the way through.