Whether you love it or hate it (there really seems to be no in-between), you must admit that Last House on the Left is a powerful film. In my opinion, it may be one of the most important American films ever made. Screw Scream--this is Wes Craven's best. Combining professional and amateurish elements on a low budget, it has the scratchy, over-saturated look of a perverse home movie--and the rough edges make it all the more unforgettable. The actors are very good, especially David A. Hess in his definitive role as sadistic sex murderer Krug and Jeramie Rain as a deranged woman obviously modeled after Sadie Glutz. The brutal rape-murders and scenes of vengeance are staged in a chilling, claustrophobic manner that makes you feel like you're there. Oddly enough, the clash of light (the comically inept cops, the cheery soundtrack) and dark elements creates a juxtaposition that's even more disturbing; despite what's happening, the three nuts are enjoying themselves without remorse and the rest of the world just bounces along obliviously. Also, the cop scenes often provide a necessary break from the brutality, giving you a brief second to breathe before plunging you back in. A tone of grim tension is maintained throughout, and it clings to you long after you've left the Last House. How, you ask, could a person enjoy something like this? Because it does what a horror movie is ultimately supposed to do, and I know that in the end, "It's only a movie...only a movie...only a movie..."
Review of The Last House on the Left
