The Last House on the Left (1972)

Wes Craven's directorial debut has left a mark on horror forever. This film is one of my favorites from one of my favorite directors. This exploitation film was groundbreaking and especially horrifying at the time. The brutality and sheer torture of the film were shocking and new and disgusting. This film still serves to make the viewer uncomfortable at the very least, as the story is one that hits a nerve deep within.

Mari and her friend Phyllis are going to a concert to celebrate Mari's 17th birthday. Her parents are concerned about the girls going into the city alone but allow it. While trying to buy marijuana, the girls encounter a group of violent criminals, and Phyllis gets gang-raped. The girls are brought to the woods near Mari's house and continually tortured. Phyllis attempts to cause a distraction to help Mari escape and is killed. Mari bonds with the leader of the gang's drug-addicted son, Junior, and gives him her necklace as a sign of trust. Junior attempts to help her escape, but the rest of the gang catches and kills her, setting her body adrift in the lake. The criminals seek shelter at a nearby house, which coincidentally is Mari's home. Her parents quickly figure out what happened to their daughter and begin to exact their revenge.

As I said, this film is brutal. The torture that young women suffer is drawn out and makes me feel physically ill every time I watch it. Part of why it may feel so real is the fact that David Hess, who plays the leader of the gang, apparently stayed in character the entire time they films, which caused lead actress Sandra Peabody to be legitimately terrified of him.

Criticisms of this film are generally that the film uses the torture and murder of two young women as entertainment without having any real morals against their treatment. Some people argue that it is a cautionary tale for young women about strangers and the dangers of drugs. I don't agree. I don't find that horror needs to have a moral all the time. And I feel that this film differs from torture porn like Hostel or the later Saw films. It isn't just trying to gross you out. It's supposed to terrify you with the realization of how cruel seemingly ordinary people can be, and remind you that some victims are chosen at random, meaning it could happen to you. Craven has never really shown himself to teach a lesson through his films. Craven often just taps into the deepest of human fears and explores them. Humans have a morbid curiosity, and horror films give them a chance to explore those fears and horrors. I guarantee that this film encapsulates an all-too-real fear for every woman out there, even to this day.

I think history-wise, and just for entertainment purposes, this film is worth watching. It's a tough watch, so prepare to be a little sickened by the end, but I think it is worth watching. It's a different kind of horror because it's so real. The killers aren't supernatural; they're human. The victims are average teen girls. The film was incredibly influential, as well as the start of an incredible directorial career. Check this film out for a history lesson and nausea.

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Amazon Video available: Yes

Rating: 4/5