Review of Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973) by Will D — 10 Aug 2010

One of the best revenge movies I've ever seen! Do be warned though, this picture is exactly what the title says; it's thrilling, and it's cruel. You'll get what you ask for.

This movie was released in the US as 'They Call Her One Eye', but with 20 minutes cut out. The version I've seen is the full, uncut original incorporated with the English dialogue.

The reasons the movie was cut is not just the violence, but the inclusion of real sex. Forget everything you know on the grindhouse market of the 70s; THIS is an exploitation movie. But to me, those shots seemed to add intense, realistic impact to the story when the female protagonist is suffering from forced prostitution.

You can really care for the anti-heroine in this movie. Christina Lindberg is not only beautiful, but a perfect actress here.

The sound is eerie that sets the disturbing tone of the movie (which is fine; it could've done worse like a generic blaxploitation soundtrack), and several slow motion action sequences of the girl committing vengeance on her victims, which might seem tiring to the viewer, but when you finish the movie, you feel moved by what you've seen.

Thriller's a great movie, but not the greatest. There are a few flaws I've seen that feel unrealistic to progressing the plot, but hey, it's only a movie.

There's a limited edition DVD available with the uncut movie which I have, compared to others that are disguised censored. In my opinion, buy the limited edition when you have the chance. It's pricey (twice as much as a newly released DVD!), but it's worth getting. Otherwise, you can get the censored version for cheap if you're not bothered.