The film has been hailed one of the greatest horrors of all time (Image: Regal Film Distributors)
Enthusiasts of Scottish heritage and period dramas can now enjoy a film depicting a pair of real serial killers from Edinburgh, available to stream without charge.
The picture chronicles 19th-century physician Robert Knox, who purchases human cadavers for scientific study from a murderous pair known as Burke and Hare.
The horror film draws from the authentic account of the aforementioned killers, who murdered no fewer than 16 individuals in 1828 Edinburgh, selling their remains for anatomical investigation.
The Flesh and the Fiends is the production in question, currently streaming free on the platform PLEX.
Peter Cushing portrays Dr Robert Knox, with Donald Pleasence as William Hare and George Rose as William Burke.
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The film has been described as a cinematic masterpiece (Image: Regal Film Distributors)
Edinburgh was establishing itself as Europe’s foremost hub for anatomical study during the early 19th century, an era when corpse demand created a deficit in legitimate supply.
Scottish legislation dictated that cadavers for medical research could only originate from prison deaths, suicide cases or from “foundlings” and orphans.
The scarcity of bodies prompted a rise in grave robbing and, in Burke and Hare’s instance, the murder of victims to profit from their corpses.
Whilst the film proved commercially underwhelming upon initial release, recent years have witnessed stronger critical reassessment as a cult classic. Fans have flocked to IMDb reviews to express their opinions, with myboigie commenting: “This is quite possibly the finest British horror film ever made except that it is entirely true.
The film is based on two real-life murderers (Image: Regal Film Distributors)
“The Flesh and the Fiends is nothing less than a fairly truthful accounting of the original ‘body snatchers’ Burke and Hare who resorted to murder after running-out of fresh corpses for a Dr Knox, of Edinburgh, Scotland.
“It is a scandalous story that would never have been possible were it not for antiquated religious notions that it was unholy to disinter the dead, even if approved by the deceased and their survivors, for the purposes of medical inquiry.
“Shot in a shadowy expressionist black, there are few films that top this in the horror canon.”
Anthony-sherritt said: “I discovered a gem!” Adding: “I’ve been on a kick watching a lot of vintage horror and this one really stands out as a gem. I can’t believe I haven’t heard of it or seen this film before. It is beautifully acted and directed with a complex script that contains well crafted dialogue.”
Mlraymond called it a “grim historical tale more frightening than any fiction”, adding: “Well written and directed by John Gilling, this low budget British film is a surprisingly accurate rendering of the true story of body snatchers Burke and Hare in 1820’s Edinburgh. Real names are used and the gruesome events are depicted as they occurred. A fine cast makes this a memorable film.”
Witchfinder-General-666 hailed it as a “grim British horror masterpiece”, stating: “The Flesh And The Fiends is a grim, creepy, terrifying and often sad masterpiece of British Horror cinema, that no lover of the genre could possibly afford to miss…The film has a very creepy, chilling Gothic atmosphere, and yet it accomplishes to seem frighteningly real.”
The Flesh and the Fiends is available to stream on PLEX
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