Woodyanders Review of The Last House on the Beach

The Last House on the Beach (1978)

A nice'n'nasty Italian thriller

[8/10 · 7 November 2008]

A trio of vicious criminals -- charming, but ruthless leader Aldo (Ray Lovelock in fine wicked form), savage Walter (essayed with frightening intensity by Flavio Andreni), and ferocious Neanderthalic brute Nino (a positively simian portrayal by Stefano Cedrati) -- pull off a bank heist and seek refuge in an isolated seaside villa when their getaway car breaks down. The loathsome threesome terrorize a quintet of teenage Catholic schoolgirls and Sister Cristina (superbly played by Florinda Bolkan), the tough and resolute nun who's in charge of the girls. Naturally, the hoods have their foul way with several of the girls until Sister Cristina renounces her vows and exacts a harsh vengeance on the creeps. Director Franco Prosperi milks plenty of gut-wrenching tension from the grim and compelling story. Said story of course becomes more progressively mean and unpleasant as it unfolds, complete with rape, murder, humiliation, and the inevitable exciting last reel turn the tables revenge by the ladies on their vile and hateful tormentors. The startling outbursts of raw, ugly and strikingly stylized violence pack a really strong punch. This film further benefits from uniformly sound and credible acting from a capable cast: Lovelock excels as the deceptively laid-back and amiable Aldo (Lovelock also sings the cool hard-rocking theme song!), Andreni and Cedrati are genuinely repulsive and unappealing as a pair of extremely base and cruel degenerates, Bolkan does well as Sister Cristina, and Sherry Buchanan, Laura Tanziani, Laura Trotter, Karine Velier, and Annalisa Pesce are all quite fetching and believable as the scared and vulnerable schoolgirls. Roberto Pregadio's funky, syncopated score and Cristiano Pogany's sparkling widescreen cinematography are both up to snuff. A satisfying serving of in-your-face rough and unflinching celluloid sadism.