Shallow Grave (1987)

“Hidden gem” from the mid-80s in the thriller/horror category

Four females from a Catholic college in Virginia head to Fort Lauderdale for Spring Break, but inadvertently see something they shouldn’t have seen in a Southern town along the way. Havoc ensues.

"Shallow Grave" (1987) begins with an homage to “Psycho,” but it’s more of an adventure/crime thriller than a slasher. Movies from the early 80s like “First Blood,” “Trapped,” aka "Baker County, USA,” and “Murder in Coweta County” come to mind. It starts fun and amusing, keeping with the college girls traveling to Spring Break motif, yet takes a deadly serious turn in the second act, becoming suspenseful till the uncertain climax.

Brunette Donna Baltron stands out on the feminine front as Rose; too bad her role isn’t bigger. On the other side of the gender spectrum, Tony March is notable as the hairy-chested Sheriff.

There’s an interesting subtext on the domino effect of negative decisions, which can lead to desperation and committing the most awful acts imaginable. Even the best of us is susceptible, so don’t make the initial bad decision in the first place (in this case, adultery). Other themes include injustice, the corruption of an authority figure and the responsibility of those in subordinate positions.

It runs 1 hour, 29 minutes, and was shot in Medley, Florida, which is 15 miles northwest of Miami and 30 miles southwest of Fort Lauderdale.

GRADE: B