Overview
…AN ACT OF VENGEANCE
After a young writer is brutally gang-raped and left for dead by four men, she systematically hunts them down one by one to exact a terrible vengeance.
Review
I will say that this is a bold film to be made in 1978. The movie’s foundation is based on cringe-worthy graphic gang rape scenes that last far longer than the revenge scenes seemingly stuffed in at the end. To me, it seemed like the director wanted to make a controversial film and pulled out in the end to make it a quickie revenge flick.
I was four years old when this movie was originally released, yet the buzz on this film was still around in my teenage years. Like it was some forbidden fruit to sneak a nibble on during a slumber party.
Reveal Slight Spoiler
There is no real substance to this film: it’s straight forward. Woman gets gang-raped. Woman gets revenge. The end. Oh and there’s castration involved.
Even the title of this film has nothing to do with the movie. Could’ve been: “I Shit On Your Casket” / “I Dry-humped Your Corpse” / “I Snorted Your Ashes” / “I Pissed In Your Urn”. I Spit On Your Grave is just another catchy marketing gimmick to full-court press the media into sensationalizing the controversy. But it worked…well. And this is now considered by many as a cult classic. My rating is mostly based on being impressed that a film of this nature was made in a time when nothing in the mainstream was conducive to its acceptance. And it’s honestly still radical in 2024 as I write this review. But beyond the shock and extremity of its content, the movie is a less than average production.
Rating: ★★½ (out of 5)
