Thriller (1974)

An unflinchingly brutal and graphic cult revenge flick that toiled in obscurity for decades before being exhumed by Quentin Tarantino as the inspiration for actress Daryl Hannah's one-eyed murderess in Kill Bill, Swedish director Bo Arne Vibenius' sophomore directorial effort is not for all tastes. Of course, not being for all tastes and being effective are two items that are not mutually exclusive, and viewers would be hard pressed not to feel the utter anguish of tragic mute figure Frigga's plight after seeing her repeatedly subjected to a variety of savage acts -- both sexual and otherwise. Though some may find Vibenius' choice of utilizing hardcore sexual inserts to document her decent unsavory at best and unforgivably exploitative at worst, there is little question that the visionary director's unique approach was years ahead of its time (the same technique sharply divided critics when used in the 2000 shocker Baise-Moi), and that it most certainly makes the violation of the already fragile protagonist much more personal and effective. Equally important in making mute Frigga's slow decent into revenge-driven bloodlust believable is starlet Christina Lindberg's wordless, expression-driven performance -- and it's fascinating to watch as her heartache slowly gives way to a kill-crazed blood frenzy. Though Frigga's hard road to the bottom has been documented in the kind of graphic detail that can often be difficult to watch, when she does finally take aim at her tormentors, the eye-patch-wearing angel of death's roaring rampage of revenge is presented in even more graphic detail -- with virtually every kill hauntingly presented in super-slow motion to achieve maximum visceral impact. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide