Sisters Of Death

I have every reason to hate Sisters of Death, but found it strangely compelling. Was this written by witches who cast a spell on me? It's essentially a cheap, B-movie slasher like so many other throw-away titles, and yet...

The story revolves around a sorority, a bunch of girls like every other at any given college. During one of their initiations a girl died; it was a stupid ritual but still just an accident according to the official ruling. 7 years later the entire sorority, all grown up now, is invited to a mysterious reunion. Party time! Then again, maybe not. It's a plot by the dead girl's father to get justice. He believes his daughter was murdered in cold blood, and he wants retribution. Surely the old man has simply lost his mind. Still... Can the Sisters really trust each other or the strange guys that show up (seemingly just looking for a good time with a bunch of good looking party girls)?

The writing for this script is pretty weak for most of the movie. The events and reactions aren't believable particularly when it comes to some of the contrived murder scenarios. That's really what makes it a slasher, finding the most unusual ways to get people killed. Still, it all comes to an interesting conclusion that makes the previous hour or so seem worth it. Often these B movies are the other way around; there's a decent movie showing potential that dissolves into a crappy ending; so this curiosity alone makes Sisters of Death worthy of note.

As bad as the acting is for the most part the characters are moderately engaging even if there is little to no real character development (typical of movies like this). Then again, maybe it's just me being a guy and the bulk of the cast being pretty girls (well, some prettier than others). I have to say that there's a reason none of these actors' names sound familiar. Even so, I've seen much, much worse in B-slashers.

Most of the movie is pretty typical of 70's slasher flicks, but it was one of the earliest (being made in the early 70's despite being released much later) which is perhaps why it feels less exploitative than some others that came out about this time. It has a good enough pace to keep it from dragging (except maybe a little at the beginning) and enough mystery and suspense to capture the imagination but without enough of anything redeemable to put it in the same category as movies like Psycho.

MORALITY:

This is a PG rated movie though it's fair to say it's closer to PG13. There's some sexual content (mostly in a few comments) and girls in various stages of undress but no actual nudity.

The depicted violence is mild but lethal. People get shot, stabbed, electrocuted, etc. It's just not very graphic in its depiction.

There is barely any strong language at all. This is the only PG slasher flick (not counting old black and white movies which are usually unrated, anyway) I can think of.

SPIRITUALITY:

Your sins will find you out.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

If you like slashers for the blood and nudity you might not like this one much. It could be a stronger movie with more emphasis on suspense than the contrived murders, but the overall experience is enough to squeeze a fair rating out of me thanks in large part to a satisfying conclusion.

#SistersOfDeath