There are two key things that make 10 Rillington Place as effective as it is. The first, and arguably most substantial element, is the dual performances of Richard Attenborough and John Hurt who play off each other so well and are given ample room to showcase their talents. Hurt's character spans the gamut of emotion over the course of the film and portrays anger, grief, and horror with equal measure. But he's best at achieving a real level of sympathy from the audience as he descends into deeper injustice and as he is manipulated by Attenborough who pulls off among the creepiest performances I've seen. He's so mannered, so unnaturally calm throughout the film, never breaking from a gentle whisper even as he is moments away from strangling a woman. The second element is how stark and matter of fact the film presents its true crime story. Aside from the film's two murder scenes, it steers away from sensationalizing the "murder house" and its killer. Instead, much of the film is quietly yet hauntingly observing John Christie plot his murder, commit it, and work to throw an innocent man under the bus. It's really a film about injustice than it is about the murders and how Christie was able to convince those around him of his innocence. It's a tremendously disturbing film and certainly among the better true crime films out there. ( )