Repulsion (1965)

UK 105m, B&W
Director: Roman Polanski; Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Yvonne Furneaux, Ian Hendry, John Fraser

A psychological horror film, Repulsion is a stylish production starring Catherine Deneuve as Carol – a beautiful young but deeply disturbed woman who loathes her older sister’s boyfriend and has a pathological fear of men. Appearing catatonic much of her day and regularly suffering hallucinations, Carol’s increasingly neurotic behavior eventually has deadly consequences. Employing minimal dialogue, Repulsion is a beautifully shot and often startling film. Polanski’s use of surreal imagery and first person points of view creates a claustrophobic mood that adds to the realistic nature of this disturbing and very frightening film (Klaus Ming November 2012).