Deliverance (1972). Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's dammed and turned into a lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a canoeing trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this movie. I’d seen a lot of parodies of it and homages, and understood the story fairly well, and in that sense was mostly expecting not to particularly enjoy it. As it is though, the film burns as a terrifying character study and a masterclass in building narrative tension in a way that pulses long after the action is over. It’s pretty terrific, even if it does rely on some pretty dated stereotypes. 8.5/10.