Absurd (1981)

I'd put off seeing Absurd, Joe D'Amato's loose sequel to Anthropophagous (which I've never seen), for a while, as it seemed like it was going to be a bit too brutal to be my cup of tea. However, after reading an old Kindertrauma post where Unkle Lancifer recommended it, I decided it sounded interesting. So I gave it a go.

I'm glad I did. It was, in fact, very violent and very gruesome (I'm glad I hadn't eaten before watching it), but it was also tense and suspenseful. Happily, in contrast with a lot of horror movies of the period, it featured two very strong female leads - doctor Emily (Annie Belle) and invalid Katia (Katya Berger). Also, the closing shot on this one is amazing; I'm honestly surprised it's not more iconic. I hesitate to recommend Absurd to everyone, but if you're a slasher fan with a strong stomach, I think you'll enjoy this one as much as I did.




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