Delayed Reaction: Repulsion

Premise: Over a long weekend, a young woman goes slowly mad.

Maybe it's the fact that I've been stuck home a lot more than normal lately, but this movie makes a lot of sense to me. Who of us hasn't left the food out a little too long and found themselves in a catatonic state under the bed? I haven't had any visitors, so how can I be sure I wouldn't treat them the same way as Catherine Deneuve does? Maybe this was a horror movie in the innocent times of 1965, but in Spring 2020...well...

In all seriousness though, I can see why this movie became a calling card for Roman Polanski. It's easy to see how the guy who made this went on to make Rosemary's Baby. There's a similar feel to them both. I'm so used to the sanitized Hollywood films of even the mid-60s, so it's surprising to see a movie from this era taking on such serious topics.

There are some striking visuals in the movie. I love how she sees the walls slowly come apart. And, the scene with the hands coming out of the wall in the hallway is super unnerving. I always have a certain hesitation with Polanski's movies, given his personal history, but this movie is solid.

Verdict: Weakly Recommend