Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

This movie is infamous for largely contributing to the creation of the NC-17 rating. And considering it’s tamer than other movies that came out in that time frame, that it has that legacy is a miracle, considering it’s otherwise a dull slog. A mental patient is released and kidnaps the woman he is obsessed with — a drug addict and former porn star — to Stockholm Syndrome her into loving him. It’s basically Beauty and the Beast, but both the people are damaged. Remarkably, this does nothing for the movie’s quality, as Ricky’s mental illness is never explored, and Marina’s drug dependency is given mild lip service at best. The transition from kidnapper/hostage to lovers is abrupt and unearned; the extent of the nice things Ricky does for Marina to earn her love is get her softer bindings and stronger painkillers for a toothache. The movie has this pointless subplot of a director finishing his final film that contributes nothing and just ends up dying of neglect. And just when Marina escapes, slam cut to Ambiguous Amount Of Time Later, and she’s improbably finding him somewhere else for a romantic union. Even the supposed controversial sex scenes are tame, even for the time; Friday The 13th Part V has a sex scene just as graphic and realistic-looking. Overall, a tired, boring, cliched mess. Not recommended as a romantic comedy, not recommended as a horror, and jot recommended as an erotic thriller. Not recommended for anything except skipping.