6. Catherine Deneuve - Repulsion
Royal Films InternationalWhereas Mabel's mental breakdown in A Woman Under the Influence could be seen as a reaction to the society and patriarchy which surrounded her, Carol Ledoux's (Catherine Deneuve) stems from a different source - repressed memories of sexual abuse and her warped perception of femininity form the basis for her descent into unchecked neurosis and murder. Repulsion - Roman Polanski's first English language movie and the first installment of his Apartment Trilogy - is a psychological horror in which fantasy and reality merge with a hallucinatory quality which sucks the viewer into the fragmented mind of Carol. Stark imagery and symbolism is used effectively, grounded in Catherine Deneuve's strong central performance. Creepy and claustrophobic, Deneuve anchors the film with her pitch-perfect turn, her effortless beauty sitting uncomfortably at odds with her icy veneer. One of those rare horror movies which features a female killer, Repulsion marked Polanski out as a director to watch following on from his fantastic debut Knife in the Water. The dream sequences - which utilise expressionistic visual effects coupled with a masterful use of sound design - have influenced countless films since.