Well written and directed by John Gilling, this low budget British film is a surprisingly accurate rendering of the true story of body snatchers Burke and Hare in 1820's Edinburgh. Real names are used and the gruesome events are depicted as they occurred. A fine cast makes this a memorable film. Billie Whitelaw as a seemingly hardboiled, but vulnerable, prostitute , and John Cairney as her young medical student boyfriend are moving as the doomed lovers, fated to be kept apart by class divisions. Peter Cushing is in fine form as the sarcastic and brilliant Dr. Knox, who doesn't ask questions as to where all the fresh bodies are coming from. Donald Pleasence as Hare, and George Rose as Burke are both repellently funny and genuinely frightening in their murderous pursuit of a dishonest dollar. Pleasence plays Hare with a sly, roguish charm, but a creepy undertone of mental disturbance that's quite unnerving. George Rose has a grungy, thick-witted manner and grubby appearance that conceal a cunning criminal mind. Renee Houston has a great supporting role as Mrs. Burke, uneasy about her husband's activities, but all too willing to share in the profits. Though made on a low budget, the movie convincingly portrays the squalor, alcoholism and petty crime of the lower class street life of Edinburgh, contrasted with elegant formal dress parties held by the wealthy and respectable citizens. This is a suspenseful and very dramatic film that deserves a wider audience. Real life horror stories don't come much grimmer than this.