Getting as far away from civilization as possible might sound like an impossibility in a first world country like America, but there are vast swathes of land where few men have been for the adventurous to explore. Georgia is just one such state where unspoilt wilderness lies in every direction, and a canoe could be the perfect vessel for seeing as much of it as possible in just a short break away from business. It's an appealing prospect for the four businessmen in Deliverance, who set off down river undeterred by the sight of some decidedly inbred-looking locals, "mountain men" who appear to be inherently suspicious of city folks. The mysterious forms tracking them from amongst the trees on the river bank is an ominous sign that dealing with nature isn't the only thing they're going to face. John Boorman's Deliverance is a seminal thriller of the 1970s, with the notorious "squeal like a pig" rape scene one of the most memorable - and disturbing - in cinema history. The "inbred locals" threat has become something of a staple in the horror genre since, from The Hills Have Eyes to the Wrong Turn franchise, but none of them live up to the meticulous pacing of the Boorman classic.
