Review of Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973) by Mark S — 28 Apr 2008

This is the most disturbing film I've ever seen bar none. I dare you to find one to match this one on just about any level. I knew it was influential for Quentin Tarantino but until you watch it, it's hard to explain but definitely they share a uniquely captivating style. This is just beyond what I think Tarantino could come up with or rather it's more sadistic I guess and it's quite humorless but it needs to be serious with this sort of content.

Our story starts out with a young girl who has been sexually abused by family members and has become mute as a result. Flash forward to her life as a teen, she catches a ride with a young fellow and has dinner with him. He drugs her, addicts her to heroin in her sleep, and then forces herself to whore herself to earn heroin. I now feel compelled to add that this has hardcore sex, it's not sexy sex, but rather degrading painful looking humiliating sex...hard to watch to say the least.

On the side she earns money by doing disgusting things and saves up for lessons in combat training and fighting for revenge. She breaks free and rights the wrongs in a particularly graphic and brilliantly shot way. The whole film is extremely well done, I mean beautiful and horrific all at the same time. The revenge is oh so sweet and nice and graphic, the style of which they chose to shoot some of these scenes is absolute perfection.

I would recommend this but it's so extremely cruel that it's hard for me to do that, I haven't been the same since I watched it. Brilliant movie....just incredibly sadistic but at least it's fufilling.