A snowed-in, mountaintop castle is the setting for mystery as ten strangers gather for a weekend party.  They've all been invited by a man none of them know, but their host, Mr. Owens, knows a lot about them.  Each of them is accused of being a murderer and Mr. Owens wastes no time in punishing them for their crimes according to the children's rhyme, "Ten Little Indians."

This version of Agatha Christie's novel is inferior to the 1945 movie in many ways.  It uses virtually the same script, but the actors, with a few exceptions, aren't as good.  Wilfred Hyde-White, Stanley Holloway, and Dennis Price are very good as the judge, the detective, and the doctor, but Hugh O'Brian and Shirley Eaton are a stiff and unsympathetic leading couple while Daliah Lavi and Fabian's acting skills are laughable.

A major drawback is the upbeat jazz soundtrack which is completely out of place in a moody mystery.  The setting is another weak point; the "castle" is a cheaply-built and fairly modern home and the mountaintop isn't really as inaccessible as it should be.  Too many of the characters view the mounting death toll as a subject for derision rather than fear, so the movie lacks intensity and thrills.  Disappointing.