Frank Capra directs this classic film starring Cary Grant and other actors I don’t recognize. While it’s considered a thriller, the central focus is dark comedy. The acting is good, the filming technicals are fine, and humor holds the test of time. My issue is the second half of the film drags, and some humor felt a bit too goofy, slapstick, and chaotic. Grant is typically known for his tough-guy persona and action roles, but I saw him in a new light here. I don’t think I’m ever going to watch another film with Grant and not think of his role here. He acts well with his exaggerated facial expressions and frenetic behavior. I also saw a new side of Frank Capra, who is known for his drama and romantic films.

The basic premise is that the main character, Mortimer, played by Grant, falls in love and marries a girl, who is the daughter of a priest, named Elaine. He brings her home and learns his two aunts are serial killers. The dark comedy is based on Mortimer keeping that fact hidden from the police to keep his mad aunts out of jail. Several other stories wind together into the plot, such as the crazy uncle who thinks he is President Teddy Roosevelt and runs up the stairs yelling “CHARGE!” after blasting a trumpet each time he leaves a scene. The aunts are cheerful as they point out where the dead bodies are between cooking apple pies. Mortimer’s brother also returns after escaping from the mental hospital. Most of the film takes place in a single sitting room, and it feels like a sanitarium filled with nuts!

Would I recommend this? I found it funny, but it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. I didn’t quite get this film, which has so many characters, each with stories difficult to keep up with. It was by design. ‘Arsenic..’ combines horror with comedy, both genres I don’t watch often