During the 1500s in Britain, a harsh judge (Vincent Price) along with his dishonest sons enjoys inflicting pain and executing people he believes are witches. This provokes Oona, who leads the witches, to summon a sídhe that appears as a man to systematically eliminate the magistrate’s family. “Cry of the Banshee” (1970) is an American International film with qualities reminiscent of “Conqueror Worm,” also known as “Witchfinder General” (1968), and “The Curse of the Werewolf” (1961). However, it doesn’t quite reach the level of quality seen in those movies. The movie shares some familiar faces with “Witchfinder General,” including Price and Hilary Dwyer (Heath), who is quietly lovely but strikingly attractive. Given that a banshee or bean sídhe—which translates from Old Irish as "woman of the sídhe"—is now used to describe any mystical female figure from Ireland said to foretell death through wailing, I believe Oona is the banshee referred to in the title. The one actually carrying out the killings turns out to be a possessed man or a demon disguised as a man. Despite some odd pacing and a script that can initially feel confusing (though it becomes clearer later), “Cry of the Banshee” is worth watching for those who like Vincent Price and Hilary Dwyer/Heath (as well as Patrick Mower). It’s also appealing to fans of dark movies set in Medieval times that deal with witchcraft and witch trials, complete with expected elements like grimy villages, torture scenes, shadowy woods, satanic ceremonies, arrogant nobles, downtrodden peasants, etc. The film's serious, unsettling atmosphere and the disturbing nature of its characters are definite strengths. The movie has a running time of 1 hour and 31 minutes and was filmed in Middlesex, England. GRADE: B-/C+

Source on TMDB