Repulsion (1965)
Left alone when her sister goes on vacation, a sexually repressed young beauty goes insane with surreal fantasies of seduction and rape. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Roman Polanski
Written By: Roman Polanski, Gérard Brach, David Stone
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry, James Villiers, Yvonne Furneaux, John Fraser, Renee Houston, Patrick Wymark, Valerie Taylor, Helen Fraser, Hugh Futcher, Monica Merlin, Imogen Graham
Genres: Suspense/Thriller, Horror
Country: UK
Where to Stream
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Repulsion belongs to 93 collections
1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 234 stars)
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5. Uncanny, Disturbingly Weird Films (collaborative: moderated by paulofilmo - 42 stars)
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7. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2008 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 39 stars)
8. New York Times' The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made (collaborative: moderated by theficionado - 32 stars)
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Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 15 |  |
kubricksucks | 60 15th |
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only a rapist could make such a boring film about rape
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| 6 |  |
BeeDub | 78 39th |
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Not the masterpiece its reputation would suggest. Denueve is great as the autistic/schizophrenic virgin with deep-seated sexuality issues, but since we're given none of her backstory or any humanizing personality traits, we're never allowed to empathize with her. Thus, her inevitable breakdown carries no sense of tragedy - we're simply watching an insane woman go even more insane. Also, as Polanski himself admits, this movie is way too slow.
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| 5 |  |
Alex Watkins | 5 91st |
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One of the most intense and frightening movies I've ever seen. Polanski had a real skill for the macabre and his portrayal here of a shattering, paranoid psyche is incredible. I've rarely felt this uneasy during a movie.
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| 5 | boyakasha | 20 1st |
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Quite possibly one of the most boring movies I've ever had to endure. To call this slow is an understatement. The main character is boring and apathetic throughout the film, she has no personality but obvious issues with her sexuality and goes insane for unknown reasons. The movie can actually be compared to Taxi Driver in terms of (un)eventfulness, so if you thought that movie was good you might like this as well. How anyone could call this horror or suspense is beyond me though.
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| 4 |  |
MartinTeller | 89 92nd |
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Absolutely riveting, a perfectly realized portrait of a fragile psyche imploding. It's stylistic, it's creepy, and it's got to be a major influence on Eraserhead.
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| 4 |  |
CCLZA | 90 95th |
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Shocking, raw and chilling, this thriller is a masterpiece of the genre, and you will never see Deneuve the same way again.
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| 3 |  |
terrymac | 92 98th |
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Patiently paced, unnerving and occasionally surreal, Deneuve shines in this wonderfully-made examination of a young woman unravelling quite spectacularly. I feel like I've seen its influence on numerous occasions; David Lynch is the first name that springs to mind. I also learned that the DP Gilbert Taylor worked on both Star Wars and Flash Gordon, which pleased me for some reason, Anyway, this is great, and you should watch it.
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| 3 |  |
Nathan S | 5 93rd |
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An utter masterpiece from Roman Polanski, something unsettling and genuinely frightening. Perception and reality become warped, imparted through expressive cinematography and sound design, packed with details that give the film incredible texture. It's a testament to her ability that the typically provocative bombshell Catherine Deneuve is able to give a virginal, repressed role such impact. The heart of her performance is in her eyes, distant and impenetrable.
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| 3 |  |
evrana | 52 17th |
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It was not my cup of tea at all. Generally, journeys into madness are interesting; but this one was rather dull and unconvincing. Aside from a great musical score and 1-2 creepy scenes, it was really boring. I like Polanski, but this one is very overrated.
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| 3 |  |
caiman | 93 96th |
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A creepy, disturbing, deliberately paced psychological trip. Polanski creates an amazing sense of unease and confusion, and leaves just enough ambiguity for us to chew on. The black and white cinematography is gorgeous, and the main actress plays her subdued role with a perfect amount of subtle strangeness. A very well made and intriguing thriller that deserves to be pondered and studied.
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| 3 |  |
paulofilmo | 68 38th |
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The perfect film until I watched it.
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| 3 |  |
purgatos | 87 86th |
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One of the most effective and chilling thrillers ever made. Deneuve does a very good job coming across as damaged, crazy and dangerous.
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| 3 | pompousass | 100 98th |
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Polanski's brilliantly crafted and profoundly morbid thriller about a London manicurist who harbors a consuming hatred of sex, and who, when her stable sister leaves town on a romantic holiday, goes spectacularly insane locked inside her flat -- the walls turn to putty, the carcasses putrify, and the outside world won't keep away. Catherine Deneuve is for the first time used counter to her serene, blank appearance.
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| 3 |  |
jmarkthespot | 95 98th |
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I had no idea that film could get this good. No doubt it is the best psychological horror of all time; everything is flawless from the score to the pacing to the writing. Deneuve's acting is top notch and she gives the most convincing and accurate portrayal of mental illness in cinema to date. Raw, chilling and engrossing with some of the best symbolism ever thought of - I can't praise this masterpiece from Polanski enough. Simply tranquil.
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| 2 |  |
TheDenizen | 70 63rd |
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Great visual style, but not much interesting happens until the last half hour. People comment that this film is about a young woman going mad, but it seemed to me that the chick was totally wacko from the beginning. Definitely creepy and scary in parts despite being kinda dated.
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| 2 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 72 32nd |
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Deneuve gives a great performance, but her character just isn't one I'm especially interested in. The entire film goes a bit too far in terms of style over substance making it feel somewhat tedious and empty. It is a great visual and atmospheric achievement from Polanski, though.
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| 2 |  |
Stain | 100 95th |
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Two hours of Catherine Deneuve going ABSOLUTELY INSANE in her apartment. One of the most scary and disturbing movies ever produced
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| 2 |  |
KasperL | 80 86th |
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Character study meets psychological thriller, kept constantly unnerving by the terrific photography which is sometimes intrusive but never gets between the audience and Deneuve's remarkable turn. Quite brilliant.
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| 2 |  |
graveyardtan | 90 84th |
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A classic "slow burn" of a movie that sets itself on self-destruct and steps back, letting the insanity seep in until everything collapses around its protagonist.
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| 2 |  |
antitype | 90 92nd |
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I love the atmosphere of this film. I love Deneuve's hair, which seems to have been created for black & white film. The slow crumbling into deranged paranoia due to shattering psyche (illustrated to great effect by cracking walls) feels like a precursor to even more hallucinatory films like Woman in the Dunes, Eraserhead, etc. If you like those, you need to see this.
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| 2 |  |
afx237vi | 95 98th |
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An intense and claustrophobic psychological thriller. The atmosphere is oppressive from the very start and only gets more unsettling as the film progresses towards its shocking climax. Deneuve's psychosis is handled in a sympathetic manner, although we're never left in any doubt about utterly insane she is. Polanski's cinematography is flawless, and I'm glad he didn't go overboard with the hallucinations. The ending is perfect - we're just left to wonder what happened to the girl in that photo.
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| 2 |  |
Paxton | 90 97th |
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Polanski made this just as a means to an end in order to get funding for his Cul-de-Sac. Funny than that it turned out to be one of his best films.
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| 1 |  |
Moribunny | 80 91st |
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Polanski's first English language film, considered a classic psychological thriller, is a very well made, highly disturbing portrayal of a protagonist experiencing repression of sexuality, phobia, obsessive compulsive behavior, hallucination and paranoia, and eventually psychosis.
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| 1 |  |
x-human | 60 17th |
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This is an elaborate 105 minute joke right? I was itching for my friends at MST3k to save me by riffing this. The only thing funnier than this movie are the trailers saying it was twice as good as Psycho.
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| 1 |  |
Pickpocket | 9 93rd |
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2,000th film! Creepy and pretty weird. I loved it. Slow in that really good way that only a good director can do. The cinematography is amazing and Deneuve always seems to be good.
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| 1 |  |
adrianavb | 82 94th |
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Catherine Deneuve rocks!
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| 1 |  |
r.Din | 16 0th |
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A product of it's time. Only of interest to film historians, IMO.
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| 1 |  |
parcaliham | 85 77th |
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#1207 - 17 ekim 2010 & polanski basarisiz ve etkisiz bir yonetmen, mukemmel bir senarist. imgesel anlatimi, atmosfer kurmadaki ogelerin kullanimi basarili - ama kamerasi zayif. sinemasi icten fakat hep bi eksiklik hissi hakim. / film o kadar duraganki, sanki karakterler agir cekim hareket ediyor! / bu film, polanski'nin hastalikli bir zihne sahip oldugunun acik kanitidir.
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| 1 |  |
CinematicESP | 92 91st |
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Scary, intense. Wonderful, gritty photography. Simple yet haunting.
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| 1 |  |
joseywales | 76 76th |
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Didn't wow me as much as I'd hoped. Truthfully, I preferred The Tenant.
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| 1 |  |
syvyys | 93 97th |
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its like an unsetteling version of cocteaus beauty and beast - where the mind is a capricious animal, waitung to tear everything apart.
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| 1 |  |
amerigo | 89 94th |
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Take an Emily Dickinsonian paranoia of male sexuality and make it into a claustrophobic horror tale. As far as I can tell this is the harbinger of art ranging from the postmodern horror novel House of Leaves to the bizarre works of David Lynch.
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| 1 |  |
tonydal | 35 8th |
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The hand thing's pretty creepy (still it's Art Art Art all the way).
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| 1 |  |
hehejaja | 100 99th |
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Wizardly distressing and mesmerizing.
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| 1 |  |
Luna6ix | 50 8th |
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I was bored to a degree that nary a moment passed where my eyes searched for something to look at other than the TV. Good job Polanski, I was repulsed indeed, but not in the way you intended.
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| 1 |  |
Eldred08 | 94 89th |
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I asked myself if that woman was really Catherine Deneuve.
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| 1 |  |
INDYATMN | 83 67th |
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Polanski certainly deserves credit 4 weaving something that must've been truly groundbreaking at the time; first person-POV's of descents in2 madnesss r still unusual. At the same time it's easy 2 c why critics in love with arthouse pretention labeled it a masterpiece given its "leisurely" pacing and its distaste 4 explanations, which insure the film is rife with entry-points for those eager 2 write dissertations on the Dialectics of Seriously Serious Cinema/The Male-Gaze/Feminism, etc., etc!
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| 1 |  |
Neonman | 92 94th |
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I first saw this film when I was in a really bad mood and it was the perfect thing to cheer me up. This film just wants to show you how much of a demented fuck it is. It's seriously fun, and Catherine Deneuve is psychotically hot in this one.
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| 1 |  |
omgfridge | 8 80th |
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I AM ALONE AND I CANT DEAL BECAUSE IM CRAZY. Sorry can't relate..... oh wait its 2016 and that's everyone. Little chilling.
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| 1 |  |
ABUNCHOFCATS | 91 89th |
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This movie is relatively slow to start but it's one of the best films of a slow descent into madness that I've ever seen, horrifying and brilliant.
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| 1 |  |
spleen | 84 82nd |
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Excellent film that laid the groundwork for every Lifetime original movie ever made. Double feature this with "Marnie" and all the sudden I don't feel so bad about being divorced.
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| 1 |  |
billkerwin | 87 75th |
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A memorable film about loneliness and madness.
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| 1 |  |
Must Unsee | 69 45th |
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Roman Polanski just walked up to the psychosexual master of suspense and said "my crown now"
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| 1 |  |
CHR1S | 70 50th |
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Paranoid madness. Very strong performance of Catherine Deneuve and very atmospheric.
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| 1 |  |
Rufam | 85 93rd |
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Initially indifferent, progressively involving, ultimately brilliant, Roman Polanski's (the master of the creepy) "Repulsion" has had a critical influence on several contemporary horror films, such as the recent "Black Swan". Deneuve is electrifying as the fragile beauty who slips into insanity, while Polanski's direction is skillful and fearless. The film was revolutionary for the time and it can still be chilling today.
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| 1 |  |
Noblet | 82 76th |
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Captures the point of view of one person as well as any movie ever has. A very stylish horror film.
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| 1 |  |
Elysian Air | 91 75th |
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For being the weakest out of Polanski's "apartment trilogy", Repulsion is certainly not without its merits: Catherine Deneuve's detached performance, charming blend of surreal dream sequences and claustrophobia, excellent black and white cinematography. I'm not entirely convinced by the progression of events, nor am I convinced by the dénouement, but even these apparent faults do little to subdue the raw emotional power. I love the confusion in the anticlimactic ending.
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| 1 | Noam Raz | 70 70th |
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There are better ways to watch it, than with a pretty German in your arms, who had suffered from the same condition when he was at the age you were when you first attempted to watch it.
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| 1 | damil | 80 90th |
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It was quite slow to start off with, which might put some people off. But the second half has some great stuff. I found it to be genuinely unnerving and scary at times. I was uncomfortable and on-edge for some scenes. The dream/fantasy sequences were really well-done and effective. These were backed up especially by the very percussive score.
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| 1 |  |
WalkenRoll | 80 74th |
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That was intense, although I'll have to watch it again in the future to make sure I saw what I saw - it was 2am, after all. You know somethings up and then all of a sudden...BAM! You're covered in hot chocolate and you have no idea what just happened. Films rarely make me spill stuff all over myself, so this gets a high rating just for doing that.
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| 1 |  |
eCitizen | 40 32nd |
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A confusing look at insanity. An incredibly beautiful girl seems mostly vacant. When her sister takes a vacation, she withdrawals to her apartment and slowly loses her grip on reality. She imagines being sexually attacked, and is barely able to react to the world around her. Then, inexplicably, she kills, and then kills again. The plot is sometimes boring, sometimes captivating. An old photo in the final scene shows her as a young girl already showing the madness in her eyes. Poignant but slow.
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| 1 |  |
kough33 | 75 71st |
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Neither a fan of Polanski nor horror movies, I got dragged into this one. In her mad world, it's sometimes hard to recognize the shapes and that's because of the strange lightening. Disturbing darkness was all over the place.
All aside, why on earth does Polanski need to pick two fantastic French actresses for an English-language movie?
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| 1 |  |
Triptolemos | 30 22nd |
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Once again Roman Polanski comes up with an interesting idea that he completely fails to combine with a compelling plot. What could have been a gripping case study of a traumatized rape victim turned out to be one of the most bland and uninteresting movies I've seen in quite some time.
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| 1 |  |
k177105 | 75 54th |
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Classic presentation of withdrawal from and repulsion against sexuality.
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| Average Percentile 69.69% from 2474 Ratings |  |