Pushkin’s lean novella from 1834 may be read as a tale of the supernatural, a psychological study or a parody of the Gothic romance. Until now, Thorold Dickinson’s adaptation of The Queen of Spades has not been seen in British cinemas since its original release in 1949. A wonderfully evocative and sinister drama by one of the most underrated of British directors, who throughout his career refused to compromise his artistic integrity in the face of commercial pressures. Truly a lost gem of British cinema.

Pushkin’s marvellously histrionic tale of cupidity and terrible vengeance gets suitably wild-eyed treatment
Time Out