A Taste of Evil 1971

Rape at thirteen and resulting silence

Susan is raped by an unknown man in the woods when she is 13. The trauma leaves her mute for two years and lands her in a Swiss sanatorium, beginning a long, fragile healing process. Her memory of the event haunts her as she grows older.

Return home after release from the sanatorium

Upon leaving the sanatorium, Susan returns to her old family mansion. Her mother Miriam is in an unstable marriage with Harold Jennings, an alcoholic, which creates a tense and uneasy home life. Susan senses that the past trauma is not fully behind her.

Return to the woods and suspicion of Harold

Susan goes back to the woods where she was raped, hoping to confront the memories. She is followed, and she distrusts Harold as the possible watcher, though Miriam insists Harold left the previous night. The tension between the characters deepens as secrets begin to surface.

Night shadow and dead man in the bathtub

One night a shadow appears by Susan's window and she later finds a dead man in her bathtub. She faints, and Dr. Michael Lomas arrives to help. There is no trace of a body, and Susan fears someone is trying to drive her insane.

Miriam doubts Susan; psychiatrist's take

Miriam questions Susan's perceptions, believing she may be hallucinating after release. She doubts the safety of letting Susan stay at home. Dr. Lomas's involvement introduces the possibility that Susan's subconscious is processing Harold as the source of trauma.

Chase at night and missing car

On another night, Susan is chased from the mansion as if by Harold. Outside, she finds a dead body in a car and seeks help from John, the gardener, only to return and find the car missing. The sequence intensifies the sense of danger around the house.

Dr. Lomas's assessment: subconscious rejection of Harold

After Susan recounts her experiences, Dr. Lomas concludes that her subconscious is rejecting Harold as the cause of her trauma. This assessment shifts Susan's focus and fuels new questions about who truly harmed her. The therapy scene deepens the psychological tension between the characters.

The woods call and Susan confronts the dead man again

Harold returns to the mansion, and the woods seem to call out to Susan. She goes into the forest and finds the same dead man who grabs her leg, forcing her to flee. She hides in the cabin where she was raped as danger closes in.

Harold's apparent murder

Harold arrives at the mansion and is later found dead, apparently shot by Susan. His death marks a dramatic turn in the mystery and deepens the suspicion on Susan. The scene unsettles Miriam and others and raises questions about Susan's innocence.

Conspiracies revealed: Miriam and John against Susan

Authorities declare Susan will be returned to the Swiss sanatorium, but a larger plot comes to light. Miriam admits she has long envied Susan for the father's attention and conspired with John to disinherit her. It is revealed that John was the one who raped Susan when she was 13.

A stalking plot against Miriam

A stalker targets Miriam, appearing to be Harold. She concludes John is tormenting her, and she fires him. The stalking continues, revealing a broader conspiracy behind the scenes.

Miriam's fatal decision and the counter-conspiracy

One rainy night, Miriam confronts the stalker and shoots John fatally, believing Harold is threatening her. She tries to leave the mansion, only to find Harold alive in the doorway. In a dramatic confession, she learns that the stalking was a counter-conspiracy masterminded by Dr. Lomas, who uses Harold's supposed danger to trap Miriam.