The world of the erotic thriller is one that often seeps into the horror genre, and arguably for a time in the 90s surpassed it, in terms of sheer output.
In this mammoth documentary (2 hrs 43 mins), filmmaker Anthony Penta, he looks to explore the origins, the appeal, the longevity and ultimately, the death of this popular sub-genre.
No stone is left unturned, with interviews and insights from directors such as Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski, as well as a number of the cast from numerous erotic thrillers who give candid recollection about their time on-set.
From Hitchcock to De Palma, the explosion of VHS and late night American cable channels, no one can point the finger at Penta and say he wasn’t thorough.
This is of course essential viewing for fans of the sub-genre, but also gives a compelling insight into how the low-budget film industry worked during the 80s and 90s.
Themes such as voyeurism and how the role of women has changed in a post-Fatal Attraction world are given a deep dive plus how these renegades of the entertainment industry became a community all on their own.
It’s very easy to turn your nose up at the perceived ‘smut’ on screen, but when you hear the tales of, especially the actresses, about how they were treated respectfully and how proud they are of their work, you can’t help but respect them.
The only thing missing in We Kill For Love was a section on the amount of saxophone used during these films, which surely could have filled another 2 hours 43 minutes.
Not just essential viewing for erotic thriller fans but also anyone interested in how cinema works.
We Kill For Love screened as part of the Overlook Film Festival 2023.
Bloody Flicks 
I can’t wait to to see it!!
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