Grossing $143 million internationally thus far, The Housemaid has pumped new lifeblood into the moribund erotica thriller genre. The once-popular brand of cinema that ruled in the 1980s and ’90s with such indelible titles as Body Heat, Fatal Attraction, and Basic Instinct may have finally become fashionable again. Now, as The Housemaid’s Secret sequel takes shape, Prime Video subscribers must submit to arguably the sexiest and steamiest erotic thriller on record.
John Dahl’s 1994 erotic neo-noir thriller The Last Seduction stars Linda Fiorentino and Peter Berg in a lurid crime story that famed film critic Roger Ebert named the fifth-best film of the year. Those who enjoyed the lusty longing of The Housemaid will be wooed, enticed, and downright floored by The Last Seduction.
‘The Last Seduction’s Lurid Premise, Explained
Written by Steve Barancik and directed by John Dahl (Rounders, Joy Ride), The Last Seduction fuses steamy erotica with stylish neo-noir tropes. The story follows Bridget Gregory (Fiorentino), a highly driven, deeply independent, carnally charged femme fatale who steals a stash of cash from her husband, Clay (Bill Pullman). Fleeing town to upstate New York, Bridget changes her name to Wendy Kroy and targets the naive and unwitting Mike Swale (Berg) as her next mark.
Upon making a barroom pass at Bridget, she turns the tables on Mike and seduces him in the most palpably alluring ways imaginable. Lewd, rude, and crude as can be, Bridget becomes the epitome of female empowerment as she toys with Mike’s mind and plays with his body, uses him to satisfy her insatiable sexual urges, and then sets him up as a pawn in her next criminal endeavor.
Whether having sex up against a chain-link fence in public at night or exhibiting their affection in his car outside the bar, Bridget is in full control and takes commanding charge of Mike and the other men in her life. Yet, far beyond a gratuitous “Skinemax flick,” The Last Seduction motivates its central crime plot through Bridget’s bawdy temptations and bodily expressions.
Linda Fiorentino Should Have Earned an Oscar Nod for ‘The Last Seduction’
Boasting an 85 Metascore and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%, The Last Seduction garnered more acclaim than far more famous and successful ’90s erotic thrillers. Aside from the plotted twists and turns, critics lauded Fiorentino’s blistering performance the most. Those enticed by The Housemaid will be enchanted by Fiorentino’s wickedly debauched turn as a devious, diabolical hornball quipping caustic one-liners that cut to the bone.
According to Berg, Fiorentino conceived the entire chain-link fence sex scene at the zero hour when the director was running out of time. She also refused to use a body double despite being offered one, and also came up with the iconic image of Bridget putting a cigarette out in an apple pie. The full unabashed ownership of the character taken by Fiorentino is why her searing performance has resonated for so long, and why many felt she earned an Oscar nomination.
Alas, because The Last Seduction aired on television before playing in theaters, the Academy rules forbade Fiorentino from being nominated. Had such a silly rule not existed, there’s a legitimate chance that Fiorentino would have beaten out Jessica Lange (Blue Sky) for Oscar gold.
Even so, Fiorentino did win an Independent Spirit Award and a New York Film Critics Circle Award. The Last Seduction was also named among several Top 10 lists for 1994, including Roger Ebert’s #5 and Janet Maslin’s #6. As such, it’s an absolute must-see for The Housemaid fans or thriller lovers in general.
