Working-class British housewife Myra Savage reinvents herself as a medium, holding seances in the sitting room of her home with the hidden assistance of her under-employed, asthmatic husband, Billy. In an attempt to enhance her credibility as a psychic, Myra hatches an elaborate, ill-conceived plot to kidnap a wealthy couple's young daughter so that she can then help the police "find" the missing girl.
A seemingly devoted couple, Myra and Arthur, orchestrate a kidnapping to extort money from a wealthy woman. Myra, a self-proclaimed psychic, claims she can communicate with the abducted girl's spirit, using her 'powers' to manipulate the situation and her guilt-ridden husband into carrying out the complex plan. As the week progresses, the psychological strain of their actions begins to take its toll, blurring the lines between their carefully constructed charade and their unraveling sanity.
Seance on a Wet Afternoon was critically acclaimed for its suspenseful narrative, compelling performances, and atmospheric tension. It was lauded as a masterclass in psychological thrillers, with particular praise directed at Kim Stanley's intense portrayal of the disturbed medium.
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Nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress (Kim Stanley). Also won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Foreign Film Screenplay.
Kim Stanley's intense performance was reportedly so demanding that she had a nervous breakdown during filming.
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