X: The Unknown

"It rises from 2000 miles below the earth to melt everything in its path!"

1956 1h 21m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🍅

71%

FRESH

⭐

6.1

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 77🍅71%Rotten Tomatoes★6.1IMDB · 3,363

HorrorScience FictionMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Army radiation experiments awaken a subterranean monster from a fissure that feeds on energy and proceeds to terrorise a remote Scottish village. An American research scientist at a nearby nuclear plant joins with a British investigator to discover why the victims were radioactively burned and why, shortly thereafter, a series of radiation-related incidents are occurring in an ever-growing straight line away from the fissure.

“It rises from 2000 miles below the earth to melt everything in its path!”

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Cast

Dean Jagger
Dr. Adam Royston
Leo McKern
Inspector McGill
William Lucas
Peter Elliott
Edward Chapman
John Elliott
John Harvey
Maj. Cartwright
Michael Ripper
Sgt. Harry Grimsdyke
Anthony Newley
LCpl. 'Spider' Webb
Ian MacNaughton
Pvt. Haggis

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Leslie Norman
Writers: Jimmy Sangster, Jimmy Sangster
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

81 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

70 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Leslie Norman, shot by Gerald Gibbs. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by James Bernard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor James Needs shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Dean Jagger and Leo McKern and William Lucas carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It rises from 2000 miles below the earth to melt everything in its path!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0049967 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Leslie Norman directs. Gerald Gibbs behind the camera. James Bernard scores. James Needs cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
270 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Leslie Norman, shot by Gerald Gibbs. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by James Bernard. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor James Needs shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Dean Jagger and Leo McKern and William Lucas carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "It rises from 2000 miles below the earth to melt everything in its path!".
8IMDB entry: tt0049967 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 77 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.