Emanuelle Around the World (1977)

Emanuelle Around the World is the rare 1970s exploitation-adventure that looks and sounds far more accomplished than its reputation suggests, with Joe D’Amato’s glossy, globe-trotting cinematography and Nico Fidenco’s hypnotic score giving the film an unexpectedly classy momentum. Laura Gemser plays Emanuelle less as a passive fantasy than as a cool, curious observer—part journalist, part wanderer—moving through a haze of intrigue where eroticism and danger keep bleeding into each other. The vibe is sleazy-but-slick, equal parts travelogue, political paranoia, and nocturnal suspense, and when it leans into atmosphere it can feel genuinely gripping rather than merely provocative. It’s absolutely not for everyone: the sexual content is explicit for an R, and the film includes disturbing, exploitative material involving sexual violence that many viewers will find upsetting—but if you can stomach its rough edges, it’s a strangely compelling, stylish artifact of its era.

Emanuelle Around the World is clearly trying to graft a globe-trotting investigative thriller onto an erotic exploitation template, with Laura Gemser carrying the film through sheer screen presence. The problem is the “political” angle feels like window dressing for a string of loosely connected shock set-pieces, so the pacing drifts and the plot often plays like an excuse to hop to the next taboo. If you’re sensitive to sexual violence, coercion, or generally sleazy imagery (including implied bestiality), this isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s likely a hard no, and the film’s treatment of women can feel more exploitative than critical. It may only land for viewers who specifically seek out Joe D’Amato-era Euro sleaze and can tolerate rough edges in exchange for Gemser’s charisma and the lurid, time-capsule atmosphere.