TYLER DOUPE': "EROTIC THRILLER WITH LOVING NODS TO ARGENTO & DE PALMA"
A couple of weeks ago, Dread Central's Tyler Doupe' posted a review of Neil Marshall's Compulsion:
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.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.