‘Compulsion’ Review: An Uneven Erotic Thriller With Loving Nods to Argento and De Palma
Some filmmakers start their career on an epic high only to decline with later efforts. Both Brian De Palma and Dario Argento followed that trajectory. In each case, their early offerings are phenomenal, with their more recent output paling by comparison. Sadly, the great Neil Marshall has followed a similar trajectory. He came in hot with Dog Soldiers and The Descent, only to seemingly lose his way thereafter. Perhaps it’s fitting then that his latest picture, Compulsion, just so happens to nod to both Argento and De Palma.
While I wish I could say that this is Marshall’s comeback picture, that simply isn’t the case. Compulsion is rough around the edges and will probably fail to land for most. With that said, I enjoyed it enough to cautiously recommend the flick to a very specific audience. Despite its numerous shortcomings, this pulpy, giallo-tinged erotic thriller might just serve as a welcome distraction for those fond of the aforementioned filmmakers. I ultimately connected (on some level) with the glossy aesthetic and style-over-substance narrative that features a surprising, albeit preposterous, twist.
Also Read: ‘Black Phone 2’ Review: Supernatural Slasher Meets Christian After-School Special in Scott Derrickson’s Highly Anticipated Sequel [Fantastic Fest 2025]
In addition to helming the picture, Marshall also co-wrote Compulsion. He shares screenwriting duties with his real-life partner, Charlotte Kirk, who plays Diana, one of the two leads. Diana is a sultry, femme fatale-type who enjoys the company of both gentlemen and ladies. We meet up with Diana when she encounters fellow lead character Evie (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) as Evie turns up for vacation in Malta.
As fate would have it, Evie is staying at the house next door to the one Diana shares with her no-good boyfriend, Reese (Zach McGowan). Though she’s already romantically entangled, Diana quickly takes an interest in Evie, making it no secret that she’s keen to engage in some erotically charged fun if Evie is also willing. Spoiler alert: She’s willing. As things heat up, so do a series of grisly murders perpetrated by a female killer in a kinky S&M getup. Naturally, both leads fall under suspicion, leaving the audience (and the authorities) to question if one of them might be a cold-blooded killer.
Marshall and Kirk’s script is admittedly messy. The narrative meanders for the first two-thirds of the film, relying on erotic interludes to carry the viewer’s interest until matters culminate in a twist-filled third act. I found my interest waning, which made some of the film’s shortcomings even more noticeable. I won’t lie, there are plenty to notice. The characters are all underdeveloped, which is partially in service of protecting the twist, but that leaves us without an anchor to carry us through the buildup. While I enjoyed aspects of Compulsion, the character work certainly isn’t one of them.
Read Also: ‘The Strangers – Chapter 2’ Review: A Torturous Sequel that Falls Flat [Fantastic Fest 2025]
It doesn’t help matters any that the dialogue is trite and uninspired, often serving solely as a means to convey exposition, rather than functioning as a believable conversation. That piece is further compounded by the hammy performances that never make the stakes feel entirely real. Despite all that, I am inclined to forgive some of this picture’s shortcomings because many of them fuel the film’s giallo energy. Anyone with an appreciation for those grisly murder mysteries originating in Italy, starting in the early ’60s, surely recalls that many gialli feature cheesy performances and wooden dialogue. I’m not sure how much of that is actually intentional here, versus happenstance, but I was still willing to roll with it. I can, however, say that the bonkers twist, the killer POV shots, and the overt display of sexuality all serve as intentional giallo homages.
Aside from the giallo influences, I also connected with the De Palma references. The film features a high-gloss aesthetic reminiscent of features like Body Double and Femme Fatale. It’s also steeped in shadowy noir camerawork by Ali Asad. The cinematographer creates a seductive look and feel that’s fitting to the steamy narrative it accompanies. I initially lamented that we don’t see any split-screen shots to further amplify the callbacks to De Palma’s heyday, but that might have read as too on the nose, considering that the De Palma homages don’t stop there.
Also Read: ‘Angela’ Review: A Shockingly Nuanced Pulpy Netflix Thriller
The far-fetched twist is plenty reminiscent of the ultimate reveals in films like Raising Cain, Body Double, and Dressed to Kill. It’s worth mentioning that De Palma was heavily inspired by giallo films, and Marshall takes many of his cues from De Palma, so the inspiration here runs several layers deep.
On the whole, the De Palma references paired with the style-over-substance approach so common to giallo filmmaking make this erotic thriller uniquely appealing to me. With that said, it’s not nearly as good as the films that inspired it. In fact, Compulsion is pretty rough. However, it’s ultimately entertaining, visually striking, and invokes nostalgia for the iconic careers of two of my favorite directors. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you may want to check out Compulsion. The film is now available on demand and in select cinemas.
-
Compulsion
Summary
‘Compulsion’ gets more wrong than right, but there’s still a niche audience for this brand of pulpy erotica.
Categorized: Reviews
