Why do we engage with art? The obvious answer exists somewhere between wanting to be entertained and craving to be enlightened about something much deeper about the human condition. We all experience the world in different ways, and it is the artist’s job to attempt to condense that into a single artwork, aimed at as wide or as niche an audience as they see fit. When it comes to film, the majority of us watch them for the sake of escapism or purely for enjoyment – but ultimately, we do it to feel something, regardless of what it may be. The downside of being an avid viewer is that the novelty can sometimes wear off, especially with particular genres such as horror, which can become derivative once you’ve seen enough, particularly in those sub-genres that seek to terrify and unsettle. It takes a lot to shock some of us (granted, a film is kept within relatively moral boundaries – we don’t even acknowledge those exploitative, unethical works that seek to just provoke without any artistic merit), which makes the discovery of certain films all the more fascinating. One of the most shocking films I’ve seen in recent years was produced in the early 1970s and centres on a murderous, overweight woman with an insatiable appetite for destruction and the willingness to get her way, regardless of the consequences, since she believes herself to be more powerful than anyone else. This is not Pink Flamingos (which is usually cited as one of the most shocking films of all time), but rather Criminally Insane, a film that in many ways exists as its insidious, darker companion, tackling some of the same themes while also being able to extract new ideas from a premise that is as absurd as it is disconcerting. The story revolves around Ethel Janowski, who has recently been discharged from her stay in the psychiatric hospital, released into the custody of her grandmother, who is promptly told to do what she can to encourage the young lady to get her weight under control. Naturally, Ethel has no interest, and it doesn’t take long for her grandmother to pay the consequences for daring to go against someone so clearly mentally unwell. A film that is both hilariously strange and deeply repulsive, Criminally Insane is a film that truly needs to be seen to be believed, in the best way possible.

One of the reasons I have such affection and respect for independent cinema is that it is populated by artists who are willing to have the difficult conversations, or touch on familiar themes in a way that the mainstream would be reluctant to accept, or even outright reject certain stories on the basis that they are not appropriate for audiences. Criminally Insane is a film working with multiple different themes, many of which were likely viewed as being somewhat more towards the controversial, especially for the era in which the film was made – it was not the first to explore subjects like mental health, eating disorders and domestic abuse, but it dared to prioritise them as the primary themes, not hiding behind a veneer of thinly-veiled activism, and instead using these ideas as the foundation for this deceptively offbeat blend of dark comedy and horror. It is by no means the definitive statement on any of these themes – in fact, one would be forgiven for assuming that it is somewhat regressive, since while the aims are very clear in terms of what it attempts to say, its entire modus operandi, in which these ideas are presented in the form of a gory, gruesome morality tale filled to the brim with violence, is not quite what we’d expect. Writer and director Nick Millard, who had not made a film previously, had quite a few clear goals when it came to constructing this film, and even in the aftermath we can struggle to know exactly what he was attempting to say with this material – but ultimately, he’s tapping into some very resonant concepts that are very much present in society (both at the time and in the contemporary era, which makes this film oddly timely, if not outright forward-thinking in terms of certain observations it makes), but which are usually spoken about in hushed tones. It’s not necessary to highlight the statistics associated with the story of this film, such as the high rate of obesity in the United States, or the ongoing rise of mental health issues, since it is all very much at the forefront of cultural conversations, and something that Criminally Insane seeks to explore in detail.

If there is one reason to see Criminally Insane (there are multiple, but if we had to reduce it to just one), it would be for the performance delivered by Priscilla Alden, who is absolutely stellar in the part of Ethel, a woman who has gone far exceeded her limits in terms of health, both physically and mentally, and who begins to spiral into a state of psychopathy as a result of being punished for her ability to subscribe to what she considered unfair standards. Watching a film like this in the present moment is an interesting experience – and one that I recommend with a group, if only to be able to have the opportunity to discuss it afterwards – because we’re in an era where mental health is far more of a priority than it was fifty years ago, and where body positivity is far more prominent. Yet, this is also a film about someone who has allowed her addiction to become so ingrained in her daily life that even the smallest change, particularly one designed to help her, causes her to seek revenge on anyone who dares to challenge her. This is not an easy role to play, and Alden deserves more than an abundance of credit for being able to handle all the various nuances of this character, especially considering she had never acted before. There’s a bravery in this performance, especially since so much of the story revolves around Alden’s physical appearance – but rather than portraying her as the subject of mockery and mean-spirited disdain, Millard chooses to work closely with his star to create this unforgettable villain. At no point do we relate to Ethel or find her actions anything less than brutal and unnecessary (to the point where we actually become frustrated about how easily she resorts to murder over something as inconsequential as not having enough money to pay for her groceries), but we do enjoy watching her spiral out of control, turning into this grotesque, immoral monstrosity – and at every moment, Alden is entirely aware of how the film is using her, which just makes her performance richer and more exciting, since it contains so many complex levels that we may not always expect from a newcomer. It’s a fascinating performance, one that some may consider just as amateurish as the film that surrounds her, but this only underlines the extraordinary brilliance of the film as a whole.

The brilliance behind a film like Criminally Insane is that its intentions are clear – this is a film that has the aim to shock and unsettle – and it stands by its mission statement throughout. The director understood that the audiences that would gravitate towards this film are not those who need to be converted to this kind of offbeat style of filmmaking, but instead the devotees to the genre that were already enthusiastic about this particular brand of disquieting, off-the-wall horror, and he pitches the film to the appropriate level rather than trying to draw in a wider group of viewers. It’s always clear when a film like this knows who its audience is and is willing to work to their sensibility rather than trying to be all-encompassing, and it makes a considerable difference. One of the reasons we can appreciate this film in all of its deranged brilliance comes in the ramshackle charm, since this is a clearly deeply independent film, without an ounce of pretention or the desire to be taken seriously. While it may not have intentionally been designed to be a comedy (although I’d argue it is very aware of how ridiculous its premise is, and the director would be foolish if he didn’t lean into that aspect on occasion), it is a film that exists within a less realistic version of reality, one that is far more offbeat than we would expect. There is a lot of gore in this film, but it’s the kind of over-the-top cartoonish violence that was clearly the result of a director working with limited resources, but who also takes the opportunity to actively attempt to redefine the medium in his own way. Buckets of red paint are used to stand in for blood (and he makes no effort to change the tone or texture to look more realistic), and the scenes of violence, while disturbing, are so entertaining in how frankly ridiculous they are, we aren’t ever sure whether to laugh, scream or gag, which is the primary reason the film works so well. Millard takes full advantage of the house in which the film is set, which was an existing property that he had scouted as the location for most of the story, and this reflects throughout the film, with the house becoming a character itself, every creak and piece of chipped wood playing a part in establishing the atmosphere of this delightfully deranged film.

Criminally Insane is an experience like no other, a deeply strange and provocative work that may seem simple on the surface, but has layers that prove to be far more complex than anyone could have anticipated based on a cursory glance. Its not a film that necessarily exists for those who are not already at least partially intrigued by the premise or style, since it was never going to appeal to viewers who weren’t interested in these more unconventional works of horror, where realism is replaced by a sincere disdain for conventions, which are quietly and methodically unravelled into something that is one of the many instances of pure madness thrown against the screen, which is the most appropriate way to describe such a film. We can certainly appreciate the absolute ambition that comes with Criminally Insane, which is bold enough to showcase its style in a way that is deeply unnerving and bitingly funny – we may not laugh regularly, but the entire film is shrouded in a kind of unhinged absurdity that is difficult not to at least partially appreciate on a fundamental level. Millard didn’t go on to achieve massive fame, although he did work for nearly half a century as an independent filmmaker, and this will always be considered his crowning achievement, for reasons that we can see on the surface – we’re drawn into this deceptively strange, offbeat horror film that focuses on the trials and tribulations of someone who seems ordinary on the surface, but who allows her fragile mental state to lead her down a path of irredeemable violence, which opens the door for some fascinating commentary that proves that this film is far more complex than we may have initially thought. Bold, daring and extremely entertaining, while never being anything less than wholeheartedly shocking, Criminally Insane is a tremendous film, and a gem that is ripe for rediscovery, especially for modern viewers who want to be truly enthralled by one of the more captivating works of independent horror produced during this period.