Singapore Sling (Nikos Nikolaidis, 1990, Greece)

Singapore Sling is a curio from Greek director Nikos Nikolaidis. An enfant terrible of Greek cinema, Nikolaidis's films have developed a cult following both in their native country and beyond. For this jaded watcher of cult and bizarre films, Singapore Sling certainly holds surprises. Alternating between Greek, French, and English, the film centers on a psychotic mother and daughter pair who live in a secluded mansion and engage in bizarre BDSM games. A lovesick detective arrives at their mansion, looking for his lost love - Laura. Unbeknownst to him, the two women have already killed Laura in one of their twisted games. The two women kidnap the detective and give him the name "Singapore Sling" - based on a recipe for the cocktail found in his pocket.

Shot in black and white, Singapore Sling is a film out of time - it evokes classic film noir, but also feels contemporary. The contemporariness of the film is in its shocking parade of fetish - this film is not for the faint of heart. There is something of Dusan Makavejev in this film. Also, there are some quite interesting parallels to Poor Things, another film shot (partially) in black and white from a Greek director. While Yorgos Lanthimos has not acknowledged the influence of Singapore Sling, it is hard not to notice the parallels - particularly the theme of the naive young woman living in seclusion, who has a hypersexual relationship with outside male figures.

Largely hard to find for many years, though inspiring cult legends (including a band name), Singapore Sling is now available via a new 4K version from US boutique cult film distributor Vinegar Syndrome. The film is likely to find a new audience with its bizarreness and interesting performances from all involved. There are some scenes in Singapore Sling that we won't soon forget.

7/10