The Fiend

Raised by an overbearing mother with diabetes (Ann Todd) and indoctrinated by a religious order called The Brethren, security guard Kenny Wemys (Tony Beckley) takes it upon himself to punish wayward young women by killing them. Meanwhile, nurse Brigitte Lynch (Madeleine Hinde) begins to suspect that something is very wrong in the Wemys house and convinces her sister, newspaper reporter Paddy (Suzanna Leigh), to write an expose on the Brethren.

Anyone who has seen director Robert Hartford-Davis' Corruption knows only too well that he is capable of making a genuine shocker, and Beware My Brethren has, in theory, got what it takes to be another excellent piece of exploitation horror. However, while the scenes featuring Tony Beckley doing 'God's work' tick all of boxes - nudity, violence and general sleaze - there is far too much of the runtime dedicated to the brethren and the sermons of the minister (Patrick Magee), which seriously cause the film to drag.

Had Hartford-Davis cut out at least one of the gospel songs and reduced the amount of preaching, and spent that time on police procedure, the murders, and Paddy's snooping, Beware My Brethren could have been another gem in his filmography. As it stands, it's a missed opportunity that is equal parts entertaining and tedious.

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.