Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971)

Pretty Maids All in a Row is the kind of early-’70s Hollywood oddity they don’t make anymore: a sunlit high-school noir where sexual farce, uneasy menace, and deadpan satire mingle in the same breath. Roger Vadim stages it with a glossy, slightly unreal vibe—part beach-party surface, part cynical punchline—while the real pleasure is watching the wildly unexpected trio of Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, and Telly Savalas play it straight inside such a skewed, provocative setup. It’s a genuine curio, alternately funny and disquieting, with a “what am I watching?” energy that keeps you leaning forward even when you’re not sure you should be laughing. Fair warning: the film’s sexual politics are very much of its era and can be a dealbreaker, but if you’re game for a scalding, eccentric time capsule that doubles as a mystery-thriller, it’s hard to forget.

Pretty Maids All in a Row is clearly trying to mash up a campy teen sex farce with a serial-killer mystery, aiming for cheeky satire and edgy shock in that very early-’70s way. The problem is the tone is a mess: the “comedy” leans on sleazy, uncomfortable student-teacher material that hasn’t aged well, while the thriller element feels secondary and oddly weightless, so you may end up wondering what you’re supposed to be laughing at. If you’re looking for a coherent whodunit or anything resembling tasteful provocation, this will likely feel vulgar, awkward, and frankly embarrassing. The main draw is the era’s exploitation vibe and a few watchable turns from Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, and Telly Savalas—just don’t expect the movie to earn its own premise.