Watch The Leech Woman

In the 1960 horror film “The Leech Woman,” the audience is taken on a journey following a wealthy and aging woman named June Talbot (played by Coleen Gray) in her quest for eternal youth and beauty. Her husband Dr. Paul Talbot (played by Phillip Terry) is a research scientist who becomes interested in June's desire for youth and they begin a search together to find a cure for aging.

Their quest leads them to Africa where they meet with a mysterious woman named Malla (played by Estelle Hemsley), who claims to know the secret to infinite youth. In exchange for a large sum of money, Malla agrees to tell June and Paul the secret, but under certain conditions. The couple agree, and Malla leads them on a journey to find the rare and mysterious root from which she claims to obtain her youth.

As the journey continues, Malla shows June a strange ceremony involving a poisonous leech that can transfer youth from one person to another. June becomes obsessed with this concept and convinces Malla to teach her how to extract and use the leech venom. The couple and Malla eventually part ways, but not before June obtains the venom and a method to extract it from leeches.

Excited about the possibilities of the leech venom, June returns to the United States and begins experimenting on herself. The effects are instantaneous and stunning--her wrinkles disappear, and her skin tightens up, making her appear years younger. However, there is a caveat--the effects of the venom are temporary, only lasting a few hours.

June tries to perfect her method to increase the longevity of the effects, but in her desperation to maintain her youth, she becomes obsessed and starts killing people to extract their youth. This ultimately leads to a dramatic conclusion in which her true self is revealed, and she meets her demise.

The storyline of "The Leech Woman" is unique for its time, particularly as it touches on the theme of vanity and ageism. Though the film's special effects may not stand up to today's standards, they were quite satisfactory for the movie's release in 1960. The black and white cinematography also adds a creepy atmosphere to the story and helps to build the suspense.

One of the standout performances in the film is by Coleen Gray, who played the role of June Talbot. Gray did an excellent job of portraying the character's obsession in her quest for eternal youthfulness. However, there was a sense of emptiness in her character's personality, possibly due to the theme the movie portrays.

The other actors in the film did a decent job as well, providing adequate support to the main character. Among them include Grant Williams, who played the role of Paul Talbot, the husband of June, and Phillip Terry who played his colleague.

Overall, "The Leech Woman" is a movie that horror film aficionados may enjoy. It's unique among horror films because of the theme it touches on, the scene of the ceremony where the leeches are used to extract the venom, and the suspenseful storyline. However, the movie's low budget and special effects may not resonate with moviegoers who have grown accustomed to modern-day computer-generated imagery.

The Leech Woman is a 1960 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 17 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.7.