Beyond the Door

Jessica Barrett is a married mother of two living in San Francisco. When she becomes pregnant with a third child, her behaviour turns alarming, and those around her come to believe she is possessed by a demonic force. A stranger named Dimitri approaches her claiming to understand her situation, though his own reasons for intervening remain unclear. The pregnancy at the centre of the story proceeds in unusual ways, and Jessica's husband and doctor are drawn into trying to explain what is happening to her.

Beyond the Door was released in 1974 and directed by Ovidio G. Assonitis, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Robert Barrett and Antonio Troiso. It was the first of two features Assonitis directed, ahead of Tentacles in 1977, and the first of two credited to Roberto D'Ettorre Piazzoli, followed by Laure in 1976. Juliet Mills plays Jessica, with Gabriele Lavia as her husband Robert and Richard Johnson as Dimitri; Nino Segurini, Elizabeth Turner and Barbara Fiorini appear in supporting roles. The Italian-American production, made by A Erre Cinematografica, Montoro Productions and Film Ventures International, took roughly 15 million dollars worldwide.

Audience response has been modest: on IMDb it holds 4.8 out of 10 from around 3,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.2 out of 10 from a much smaller group of 67 voters.