Plot
The British Rocket Group, headed by Professor Bernard Quatermass, launches its first rocket into space. Shortly after its launch, all contact with the rocket and the three occupants – Carroon, Reichenheim and Green – is lost. The rocket returns to Earth, crashing in an English field.
Quatermass and his assistant Briscoe arrive at the scene, along with the emergency services. Opening the rocket's hatch, they find only Carroon; there is no sign of the other two crewmembers. Carroon appears to be in shock, only able to mouth the words "Help me". He is taken to hospital while Quatermass and Briscoe investigate what happened to the rocket and its crew.
It becomes evident that Carroon has been changed by something he encountered while in space. He can absorb any living thing he comes in contact with. When he absorbs a cactus in his hospital room, his right arm begins mutating. Not knowing this, Carroon's wife, Judith, hires a private investigator to break her husband out of the hospital. The escape is successful but Carroon kills and absorbs the private investigator in the process. It does not take long for Judith to discover what her husband has become and Carroon soon flees from his horrified wife.
Inspector Lomax of Scotland Yard, initiates a manhunt to find the missing astronaut. Hiding out at the London docks, Carroon encounters a little girl but through sheer willpower leaves her unharmed. Instead, he heads for a zoo where he absorbs many of the animals. By now, Carroon has become completely mutated. Quatermass and Briscoe track the creature to Westminster Abbey. From his examination of tissue samples taken from Carroon, Quatermass concludes that an alien creature has taken over Carroon and will eventually release spores, endangering the entire planet. With the assistance of a television crew working at the Abbey, Quatermass succeeds in killing the creature by electrocution.
As he leaves the Abbey, Quatermass ignores all those who pass him and ask what's happened, save for his assistant Marsh who than asks him what to do next. Quatermass replies that he'll start all over again. He leaves Marsh and walks away into the London night.
Read more about this topic: The Quatermass Xperiment
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