Horror Express | 1972

Main Plot

Set aboard the Trans-Siberian Express in the early 1900s, Horror Express follows British anthropologist Professor Saxton as he transports a mysterious fossil he believes to be the missing link in human evolution. His academic rival, Dr. Wells, is also on board, and their uneasy alliance is tested when passengers begin to die under bizarre circumstances. It soon becomes clear that Saxton’s specimen is not merely a prehistoric creature, but the host for an ancient extraterrestrial entity capable of possessing and killing at will. As the train speeds through the frozen Russian wilderness, panic spreads among the passengers, and Saxton and Wells must join forces to stop the deadly force before it escapes into the world. With time running out and nowhere to run, the survivors face a terrifying battle for their lives against an enemy that can hide in any body.

Characters

• Christopher Lee plays Professor Alexander Saxton, the determined anthropologist who discovers the ancient creature. His rational worldview is shaken as he confronts a terror science cannot explain.
• Peter Cushing portrays Dr. Wells, Saxton’s skeptical rival who is both colleague and competitor. Forced to cooperate, Wells must reevaluate his cynicism when the horror becomes undeniable.
• Alberto de Mendoza appears as Father Pujardov, the enigmatic monk whose faith is tested by the supernatural events. As fear spreads, Pujardov’s beliefs become both a source of strength and a dangerous obsession.

Ending Explained

As Horror Express reaches its climax, the surviving passengers and the anthropologist realize that the parasitic life-form, having transferred hosts multiple times, now threatens everyone aboard the train. In a desperate bid to stop the creature, they work together to isolate it, but the parasite continues its deadly rampage, possessing the body of a powerful Cossack officer. With time running out and the train barreling toward disaster, the heroes devise a plan to detach the infected car from the rest of the train. Their quick thinking pays off: the infected section is sent careening off the tracks, destroying the parasite and its host in a fiery crash. The remaining passengers, though traumatized, are finally safe as the train comes to a halt. The ending underscores the cost of tampering with unknown forces and highlights the uneasy alliance between rivals forced to confront a threat beyond their understanding. Ultimately, the survivors are left to grapple with the horrors they have witnessed and the knowledge that some mysteries are best left undisturbed.