Still of the Night

"Still of the Night" is a Hitchcockian thriller from director Robert Benton. Roy Scheider portrays a Manhattan psychiatrist who is suspected of killing one of his patients. The police do not know if he's not telling them - claiming the immunity of the doctor-patient relationship. Scheider himself considers that the dead man's mistress (Meryl Streep) may be the killer. Scheider's quiet bachelor life is penetrated by Streep's wiles, and he can't understand her interest. Streep is a vivacious, chain-smoking blonde, who looks as if she could "explode" at any provocation. Scheider is determined to get to the bottom of the murder and find out if Streep is the killer. His obsession is accompanied by nightmares of flashing knives. Scheider plans his moves to get closer and closer to Streep until she breaks.