Sword of the Beast is an interesting film and rather subtle in some ways. The broader strokes of the plot are a bit obvious at times, but the film's construction is clever and well-executed. It also, for anyone instinctively expecting Hays Code restraint in a black and white film, repeatedly surprises by its willingness to "go there". Admittedly, this is more in the subject matter than in explicit depiction on screen, but it still felt surprising to me.