Frenzy

In the fog-shrouded streets of London, a calculating serial killer stalks their prey, leaving a trail of terrorized victims in their wake. The lifeless body of the latest victim is discovered floating in the Thames, a grim reminder of the monster's reign of terror. Against this backdrop of fear and uncertainty, Richard Blaney (Jon Finch), a disillusioned former Royal Air Force officer turned bartender, navigates the challenges of his own personal crisis. Freshly fired from his job at the local pub for his tendency to indulge in excess, Blaney seeks direction and purpose with his bar-maid girlfriend Babs Milligan (Anna Massey). As he takes to the streets in search of a new career path, he finds himself drawn to Covent Garden Market, where an old acquaintance, Bob Rusk (Barry Foster), shares his entrepreneurial spirit as a local fruit dealer. Meanwhile, the police struggle to crack the case, their efforts hampered by the sarcastic wit of Chief Inspector Oxford's (Alec McCowen) trusted informant.

Blaney's existential crisis deepens when he finds himself at loose ends after being dismissed from his job. In an attempt to regain his sense of self-worth, he turns to his friend Rusk for guidance, only to find solace in the arms of his ex-wife Brenda Blaney (Barbara Leigh-Hunt), whose matrimonial agency has achieved a moderate level of success in bringing couples together. Under Brenda's watchful eye, Blaney is treated to a night out on the town, during which he discovers a surprise windfall in his pocket - a move that seems suspiciously designed to bolster his spirits.

But when Brenda herself becomes the latest victim of the necktie killer, the police are left with no choice but to turn their attention to Blaney, suspecting him of the gruesome crime. Chief Inspector Oxford, a man whose own marriage is a culinary nightmare, takes the lead in the investigation, his gut instinct screaming out that something isn't quite right about the case. As the net closes in around Blaney and he finds himself at the mercy of the authorities, the seeds of doubt are sown in Oxford's mind regarding the true identity of the killer - a question that will only be answered as the truth slowly begins to unravel.