Blu-ray Review: Gritty ’70s British Horror-Thriller ASSAULT

Suzy Kendall and Frank Finlay take the lead in Assault, a gritty British horror-thriller from 1971. A vicious sex attacker is prowling the woods near and all-girls school and the only person who can identify him is Kendall’s feisty art teacher.

A sorted updated Little Red Riding Hood about a ‘beast’ lurking in the woods, Assault must have packed a hell of a punch when it was released back in 1971 – when it received an X-rating. Today it might be a little of the sleazy side (and a lot of the character’s actions dates), but this is tense piece of exploitation cinema that has a few solid red-herrings scattered throughout.

On a visual level, Assault has the earthy look of most British films from the period, the lack of flourish might have something to do with the workman-like style of director Sindey Hayers, whose career in television saw him direct everything from The Avengers and The Professionals to The A-Team and Baywatch.