Repulsion
Beautiful young manicurist Carole suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister and roommate, Helen, leaves their London flat to go on an Italian holiday with her married boyfriend, Carole withdraws into her apartment. She begins to experience frightful hallucinations, her fear gradually mutating into madness.
Critics Sentiment
Final shot reveals young Carol's disturbed expression in family photograph
Carol becomes increasingly distant at salon and sent home
The film dramatically escalates from slow character establishment to intense psychological horror when Carol is left alone, with her first hallucinations marking the transition into masterful nightmare territory.
Repulsion builds slowly through careful character establishment before exploding into masterful psychological horror once Carol is isolated. The film's second half, featuring cracking walls, hallucinations, and murders, earned universal critical acclaim for its disturbing effectiveness. The haunting final photograph provides one of cinema's most memorable and devastating conclusions.
Full cast
Catherine Deneuve
Carol Ledoux
Ian Hendry
Michael
John Fraser
Colin
Yvonne Furneaux
Hélène Ledoux
Patrick Wymark
le propriétaire
Renée Houston
Mme Balch
Valerie Taylor
Mme Denise
James Villiers
John
Helen Fraser
Brigitte
Monica Merlin
Mme Rendesham
Hugh Futcher
Reggie
Imogen Graham
Manicurist
Mike Pratt
Workman
Roman Polanski
Spoon Player
Crew
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