When a government official disappears in the London tunnels, after several reports of missing people in the same location, Scotland Yard starts to take the matter seriously, along with a couple who stumble upon a victim by accident.
“Raw Meat,” known in Europe as “Death Line,” is the kind of cult horror that lingers in the back of your mind for years—usually because you’ve heard the legends but never quite managed to see it. When Blue Underground dropped their 4K restoration, I figured it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about. With Donald Pleasance and Christopher Lee’s names splashed across the poster and marketing that leans into a zombie apocalypse vibe, my expectations were sky-high.
That’s probably why the movie’s actual premise feels a bit like a bait-and-switch. There’s no zombie horde here—just a single, tragic figure haunting the London Underground, and that’s the film’s first real letdown. The second? Pleasance and Lee, two icons of British horror, share the screen for all of three minutes. If you’re hoping for a heavyweight acting duel, don’t hold your breath.
The story centers on Alex, an American student (David Ladd), and his British girlfriend Patricia (Sharon Gurney), who discover an unconscious man in an Underground station late at night. Alex shrugs it off as another drunk, but Patricia is spooked, sensing something more sinister. When they return with help, the body is gone. Turns out, the missing man is James Manfred, OBE—a high-profile government official—so Inspector Calhoun (Pleasance) is called in. What starts as a standard missing-person investigation slowly unravels into something weirder and darker, with references to a group of Victorian tunnel workers trapped in a cave-in, surviving underground, and preying on commuters.
When Patricia vanishes, Alex plunges into the depths of the Underground to find her, stumbling into the grim aftermath of the miners’ doomed lineage. The climax is chaotic, and just when you think it’s over, the final shot hints that the horror still lurks below.
Technically, the restoration is a triumph. The colors pop, the picture is stable and clean, and for a film from 1972, the visuals feel startlingly fresh. It’s a testament to the love and effort that went into the 4K transfer.
But good looks only go so far. Pleasance, usually magnetic, feels off here—his Inspector Calhoun is more irritating than intriguing, full of sarcasm and quips that undercut any real menace or authority. David Ladd’s Alex is mostly a blank slate, brooding until the script finally gives him something to do in the last act.
If the film has a saving grace, it’s Alex Thomson’s cinematography. Long before he shot “Excalibur,” “Legend,” or “Alien³,” Thomson was playing with light and shadow in the bowels of the Underground, and it shows. There’s a tracking shot through the monster’s lair that’s so fluid and absorbing, it practically pulls you into the screen. It’s the kind of moment you expect to see in a modern horror classic, not a low-budget British shocker from the early ’70s.
Ultimately, “Raw Meat” is a mixed bag. The authentic Underground setting and creative camera work set it apart from its peers, but the sluggish pace and inconsistent performances keep it firmly in the “curiosity” category. If you’re a fan of visual craft or want to see early flashes of Thomson’s brilliance, it’s worth a watch. Otherwise, you might find yourself checking the clock long before the credits roll.
Available on 4K Ultra HD September 30th from BLUE UNDERGROUND
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