Movie Review: White Slave (1985)

I thought this would be one of those Amazon cannibal movies, but it’s really not, as there is no cannibalism. Still, it’s definitely trying to capitalize off of the popularity/controversy from Cannibal Holocaust, as it was sometimes released as Cannibal Holocaust 2, and features a similar non-horror score that’s actually kind of pleasant.

The movie follows a teenager, Catherine Miles, as her parents are killed when she’s vacationing in the Amazon, and she becomes enslaved to a group of Native people, eventually marrying her captor and coming to have feelings for him once she realizes that it wasn’t him that killed her parents, but it was some white people with the assistance from other Natives.

It’s also (like Cannibal Holocaust) all presented in a frame narrative, with Catherine on trial for murdering her aunt and uncle, whom she learns is responsible for her parents’ deaths.

The movie becomes really emotional, actually, and it has a surprisingly romantic plot. It’s barely a horror movie. There’s some revenge, but it’s mostly a drama.

Now as a drama, it leaves a lot to be desired. As an exploitation cannibal movie, it also leaves a lot to be desired (like the actual cannibalism). But it’s such a weird movie that I kind of enjoyed watching it, even if it’s not that entertaining.

Rating: 5/10