A suicidal artist gets possessed by the spirit of a vengeful mobster. That’s the plot, in a nutshell, but Retribution is a lot more than that. For one thing, it’s got that same New Yawk scuzz that makes Street Trash such a treat (even though it’s set in LA?). And what it lacks in technical prowess (the latter’s director/DOP helped win an Oscar just a few years later, after all) it makes up for with refreshingly oddball spirit. Its killer set-pieces, while few, are remarkably inventive. But it’s the other, almost random moments — the party scene, the bus crash, the rasta shaman — that make you go “What?!” in the best possible way. It’s probably no accident that the main character here is named “George Miller” as there’s a clear influence of Ozploitation’s thrills. See also the lurid lighting of Argento’s supernatural shockers. And that final shot? Come on, man! ★★★★
Cross-posted from Letterboxd