4K Ultra HD Review – She Killed in Ecstasy (1971)

      **She Killed in Ecstasy, 1971.**

      **Directed by:** Jesús Franco.

      **Starring:** Soledad Miranda, Paul Muller, Fred Williams, Ewa Strömberg, Howard Vernon, Horst Tappert, Jesús Franco.

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      After her disgraced husband, a doctor, takes his own life, a woman seeks vengeance against the medical board that revoked his license.

      In the early 1970s, Jesús ‘Jess’ Franco was remarkably prolific, though the quality of his films varied. However, 1971's *She Killed in Ecstasy* serves as a decent indicator of his work's quality, landing in the mid-range.

      Franco's muse, Soledad Miranda, portrays Mrs. Johnson, the spouse of Dr. Johnson (Fred Williams), who is researching topics related to fetuses and growth hormones, which we’re not meant to scrutinize too deeply. The medical board, however, questions his claims, labeling his research as unethical and discrediting his work. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Johnson struggles to cope with this criticism and ultimately ends his life. Following this, Mrs. Johnson—who keeps his body around for reasons that will later become significant—tracks down the four medical professionals she blames for her husband's demise.

      The plot seems straightforward, and it is to the extent that Jess Franco, who also plays one of the medical panel doctors, struggles to extend the film’s 80-minute runtime, leading to pacing issues. This necessitates the director to linger on shots or stretch scenes, creating interactions that can feel forced and unnatural.

      Nevertheless, despite the uneven pacing, there are many appealing aspects of *She Killed in Ecstasy*. It serves as a more accessible Jess Franco film, coming on the heels of *Vampyros Lesbos*, where Franco showcased his arthouse flair and crafted an ethereal dream world. Here, he adopts a more grounded approach, revisiting concepts from his 1966 film *The Diabolical Dr. Z*—in which the daughter of a disgraced scientist seeks revenge through an exotic dancer—and injecting a significant amount of sleaze to cater to the open-minded audience of the 1970s, effectively engaging viewers during the quieter moments.

      Soledad Miranda shines in this film, portraying the grieving widow embarking on a vengeance quest while also revealing her vulnerability; perhaps a bit too much so, as one scene feels somewhat out of sync with the film’s overall tone. However, Mrs. Johnson deeply loved her husband and ultimately finds an unconventional use for his corpse, an inspiration for Jörg Buttgereit, director of *Nekromantik*. This unusual aspect adds to the runtime and provides viewers more time to admire Soledad Miranda.

      While the 4K UHD release is certainly a step up from prior versions, the color palette of this film leans darker, favoring blues and purples over reds, contrasting with the recent *Vampyros Lesbos* upgrade. The visuals are still rich and sharp, but whether the improvements are noticeable may depend more on your 4K setup than on the disc itself. As with *Vampyros Lesbos*, Severin has included a comprehensive array of bonus features to enrich the context of the film; highlights include a lengthy interview with Jess Franco expert Stephen Thrower. Although lacking audio commentaries, there are interviews with Jess Franco, actor Paul Muller, a trailer, a Franco featurette, and an interview with Soledad Miranda historian Amy Brown, which also appears on the *Vampyros Lesbos* disc.

      In summary, *She Killed in Ecstasy* is an engaging and enjoyable entry in Jess Franco's filmography, though it feels a bit prolonged for its content despite its short duration. Aside from Soledad Miranda, the supporting performances are solid, and the film's sleazy, exploitation angle offers a refreshing contrast to Franco’s earlier venture into dreamlike storytelling. Notably, he does incorporate slight elements of that previous style intermittently, but it’s the combination of sex and violence that propels this film when the sparse dialogue tends to slow the pace. If those elements are why you watch Franco's films, there's enough here to warrant a recommendation; however, if you prefer excitement over those aspects, a more conventional revenge thriller may serve you better.

      **Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★**

      Chris Ward