Sugar Cookies (1973)

Sugar Cookies is the kind of disreputable, hypnotic grindhouse thriller that somehow turns its sleaze into atmosphere, luring you in with a Vertigo-ish obsession and then tightening the screws with real menace. Theodore Gershuny frames the story in a sticky haze of seduction and threat, where power games, doubles, and revenge give the mystery an off-kilter pull even when the plotting gets wonderfully awkward. Mary Woronov brings cool, watchful intensity, and Lynn Lowry’s dual performance is the engine of the film’s uneasy fascination, playing identity like a weapon. Fair warning: it’s explicitly X-rated and unapologetically exploitative, but if you’re on the fence and curious about a strange, entertaining B-movie that’s equal parts noir-ish intrigue and taboo provocation, this one has a nasty little grip.

Sugar Cookies is trying to be a sleazy, sinister revenge thriller that pokes at exploitation cinema and the men who profit from it, and on paper that’s a juicy setup. In practice, it often plays more like a rough, grubby curiosity than a satisfying drama or horror film: the plotting can feel awkward and not entirely coherent, and the “shock” elements lean heavily on extended nudity and discomfort rather than suspense. The X-rated vibe isn’t incidental here, so if you’re not in the mood for exploitation-era perversity and a generally grimy tone, this will likely feel like a waste of your time. Still, if you can tolerate the sleaze, Mary Woronov brings a cold, watchable edge, and the film has a few genuinely nasty moments that hint at the sharper movie it wanted to be.