FramingStoryDrMartin(RobertPowell)arrivesatasecludedasylum"fortheincurablyinsane"tobeinterviewedforajobbythewheelchair-using,authoritarianDrLionelRutherford(PatrickMagee).Rutherfordexplainsthatheoweshiscurrentincapacitationtoanattackbyaninmate.RutherfordrevealshisunorthodoxplantodetermineMartin'ssuitabilityforthepostofheadDoctor.Oneoftheasylum'scurrentinmatesisDrB.Starr,theformerheaddoctorwhounderwentacompletementalbreakdown.MartinistointerviewtheinmatesoftheasylumtodeducewhichoneisDrStarr.IfhischoiceiscorrectRutherfordwill"consider"himforthepostccc
　　TheattendantMaxReynolds(GeoffreyBayldon)admitsMartinthroughthesecuritydoortotheinmates'solitaryconfinementcellswhereheinterviewseachinturn.
　　"FrozenFear"Bonnie(BarbaraParkins)recountstheplottomurderRuth(SylviaSims),thewealthywifeofherloverWalter(RichardTodd).Ruthisapossessiveheiresswhostudiesvoodoo,andthisintereststandsinthewayofBonnieandWalterbeingtogether.
　　"TheWeirdTailor"Bruno(BarryMorse)recountshowpovertyforcedhimtoaccepttheunusualrequestofaMrSmith(PeterCushing)toproduceanelaboratesuitofclothingfromamysterious,scintillating,fabricthatcananimateanything,includingthedead.
　　Afterlearningwhatthesuitwillbeusedfor,BrunofightsSmithandaccidentallykillshim.Hereturnswiththeunsoldsuit.HiswifeAnna(AnneFirbank)dressestheirstoremannequininthesuitanditstruepowersarerevealed.
　　"LucyComesToStay"TheebullientBarbara(CharlotteRampling)informsMartinshehasbeeninanasylumbefore.AfterherreleasefromthatasylumshewascloselymonitoredathomebyherbrotherGeorge(JamesVilliers)andanurse,MissHiggins(MegsJenkins).ThisfrustratedexistenceisrelievedwhenhermischievousfriendLucy(BrittEkland)comestovisit.
　　"MannikinsofHorror"FinallyMartininterviewsDrByron(HerbertLom)whoholdsRutherfordindeepcontempt.Byronexplainsheisworkingtowardssoultransferencewithasmallautomatonwhoseheadisalikenessofhisown,andshowsMartinseveralearliermodels.Byronplansto"will"hismannequintolife,andexplainstheinterioroftherobotisorganic,aminiaturisedversionofhisownviscera.MartinconcludeshisinterviewandMaxshowshimdownstairstodeliverhisjudgementtoRutherford.
　　Byronsuccessfullybringshismannequintolife:itmakesitswaytoRutherford'sofficeandkillshimwithasurgicalknife.Then,MartindestroysthemannequinandseekshelpfromMaxReynolds,andDr.Starr'strueidentityisrevealed.