Malicious (1973)

Malicious is one of those 1970s Italian comedies that feels like a sunlit memory you’re not entirely sure you should be enjoying—lush, mischievous, and shot with an elegance that turns a domestic setting into a sensual little stage. Salvatore Samperi directs with a painter’s eye and a satirist’s grin, letting the camera and an extraordinary soundtrack do as much storytelling as the dialogue, while Laura Antonelli arrives with the kind of screen presence that makes it instantly clear why she became a star. The film’s allure is its hypnotic mix of playful farce and aching desire, where longing, jealousy, and self-delusion swirl around in beautifully composed images. It’s not for everyone—its erotic content and themes of coercion and voyeurism (including involving minors) can be deeply uncomfortable—but if you can approach it as a provocative, of-its-era classic, it’s undeniably mesmerizing cinema.

Malicious is aiming for a provocative, satirical sex-comedy about lust, hypocrisy, and a household unraveling after the mother’s death, with Laura Antonelli’s screen presence doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The problem is that what’s framed as “comedy” often plays as voyeuristic and mean-spirited, with coercion and a teen’s predatory behavior pushed so far it can feel disturbing rather than cheeky. If you’re expecting a light Italian romp, you’ll likely find it sleazy, muddled, and oddly grim, especially given the involvement of minors in the sexual dynamics. Watch only if you’re comfortable with 1970s exploitation-adjacent sensibilities and can tolerate a deliberately uncomfortable tone in exchange for a few moments of stylish atmosphere and Antonelli’s charisma.