Wes Craven is arguably the father of modern slashers. He gave audiences A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, The Hills Have Eyes 1 ad 2, and his most iconic work, the Scream franchise. These films make audiences gasp, laugh, cover their eyes in fear, and at times cry over a character’s demise. Yet, there is one film that often goes unmentioned when referencing Wes Craven: The Last House on the Left. A movie filled with gore, doomed victims, and bloodthirsty degenerates, it is the embodiment of a Wes Craven film. The Last House on the Left is Wes Craven’s forgotten masterpiece.
Sadie
American International Pictures
Up until Scream 2 and its introduction of Mrs. Loomis, Wes Craven’s villains usually entailed crazed men with some inflated motive behind their killing sprees. The Last House on the Left not only gives audiences a woman so heinous she rivals Freddy Krueger himself; she is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the film. From the three killers, Sadie seemingly enjoys torturing Mari and Phyllis the most. Filmed in the 1970s, women’s rights were an escalating hot topic in the U.S.; to see a woman onscreen, even if fictional, relish in the agony of other women is disturbing, especially when these crimes are of sexual nature.
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Phyllis - Undying Friendship
Mari and Phyllis are an unlikely pair. Phyllis is older, more experienced in the walk of life, and has an adventurous spirit. Mari is younger, exhibits an innocence relative to her age, and really just enjoys being friends with Phyllis. Nevertheless, they have a strong friendship that survives through their excruciating torture throughout the film. From Mari witnessing Phyllis’s sexual assault, to them being forced to perform sexual acts on each other, to lastly, Phyllis sacrificing herself to give Mari a chance at escaping, both of these characters show that they are willing to risk everything, even their lives, for each other.
The Plot Twist
Given the amount of screen time given to Mari, Phyllis, and their aggressors, the narrative’s shift is somewhat unexpected. The group takes refuge in a nearby house in the woods; the last house on the left, which happens to belong to Mari’s parents, John and Estelle Collingwood. While it can be assumed that the Collingwood family will connect the group’s mysterious appearance to Mari’s disappearance, the events that follow are completely shocking.
Revenge!
Halfway through the film’s second act, Estelle Collingwood discovers Junior withdrawing from his substance abuse and consequently sees Mari’s peace symbol necklace around his neck. After further investigating, Estelle and John realize their daughter has fallen prey to the vicious murderers. They run to find the dying Mari floating in the nearby lake, and decide to take revenge. As elaborate as the film’s twist is, so is its revenge. From traps disguised as sexual acts, mental manipulation, to a chainsaw chase sequence, Wes Craven goes all-out in giving a cathartic execution to his most vile villains.
The Villains - Unsettling Cruelty
While Sadie is easily the most sadistic killer in the group, the rest of the murderers are just as reprehensible. Fred enjoys taunting Mari as he observes that she is the most impressionable of the two girls; Krug not only sexually assaults Mari, but further humiliates her by carving his name into her chest. Lastly, Junior shows no remorse in luring the girls into the trap ultimately costing them their lives–and they commit their atrocious crimes with smiles on their faces. These villains aren’t only a device used to upset audiences–they are a raw glimpse into the darkest corners of the human mind.
The Stages of Grief
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of this film is familial grief. Death itself is already a devastating occurrence, but witnessing the death of one’s child is something taken, well, straight from a horror movie; Wes Craven explores the stages of grief involved in such a tragedy. Initially, the Collingwood Family is in denial that Mari may be in grave danger; next, they become angered in the authorities refusing to take conducive action; they bargain among themselves, accepting the possibility that Mari got carried away partying with Phyllis. They experience an immediate depression when finally learning of the horrific fate that befell their daughter. And lastly, they accept the unchangeable, and decide to execute revenge themselves.
Reality
The comforting aspect of many horror films is that they’re just that… films. The moment the curtains fall, the audiences’ horror ends. The Last House on the Left lingers because it reflects everyday reality, particularly of its era. Released amidst a war and social unrest, this movie offers a look into the depravity one can experience during a war, or the inability any individual can feel when oppressed; physically, emotionally, and mentally, by an insurmountable force in society. The Last House on the Left is Wes Craven’s subliminal commentary to the violent systems 1970s America turned a blind eye on.
