This movie is based on actual crimes. It doesn't oversimplify this into 'good guys' and 'bad guys': it retains the complexity, even with the young assistant as attempted moral center.The laws of the time limited the supply of corpses for medical schools. Executed criminals only. There were more students than available bodies. Most teachers stayed within the law. Others --'Resurrection men' such as Burke and Hare made a living robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical schools. Desperate for specimens, the doctors paid the money.B & H really did change their MO after a fellow-lodger died. They turned from one nasty crime -- grave robbery -- to flat-out murder.(Sometime after the pair donated themselves to science, the laws about sourcing corpses were amended. That put a serious crimp in the 'resurrection' business.)

The review below decrying "secular humanism" caused me to up my rating from 4 to 5, because I had to think about the movie a little more than if I hadn’t read that review and left a comment to it.I thought Cushing was excellent. I think everyone did a great job -- allowing that the titles of these kinds of movies aren’t to be taken seriously, they are written in neon, so we can’t blame the person who wrote the title. :)

If you've never exactly understood the secular humanist philosophy "the end justifies the means", then watch this movie. From the lowly, ignorant, poor in the street to the arrogant, intelectual, and educated, and the drunk and lustful. The end is always the same. I recommend this to anyone attempting to learn about basic philosophies and values. There are only two choices in this life; one is good and one is evil.And BEWARE: there's flashes of nudity in this film. This shocked me, seeing how old this is.

I was surprised to see a very young Peter Cushing In a very well done film.I wish we could make movies like this today with a real story that makes you think and great acting all round.

Shows the disparity amongst social classes in England at that time, and still exists. Great movie, storyline and message, as well as acting directing and cast. Peter Cushing was great in this.