Killing Machine (1974)

Killing Machine: Directed by John Trent. With Ernest Borgnine, Michael J. Pollard, Hollis McLaren, Louis Zorich. Three vicious thugs are on the run in rural America after robbing a local bank. They seek refuge at the home of a reclusive farmer, but he is prepared for their arrival and holds them at gunpoint. Unable to let them simply wait for the law, he decides to take them into into his cellar and torture them a little before the police arrive.

“u0026#39;Vengeance is Mineu0026#39; – also known as u0026#39;Sunday in the Countryu0026#39; – the plot of this Canadian thriller revolves around three deranged criminals who plan to force their way into a rural property to evade police pursuit. The film takes a while to warm up with over 40 minutes before farmer Ernest Borgnine and his granddaughter encounter the criminals at their home, but from the moment they meet, tension simmers. The film impressively avoids going in expected directions; this is not the typical home invasion film that one might anticipate, and without revealing too much, it can be said that the film questions whether we should sympathise with Borgnine, who overreacts to the home invaders. In fact, as the film wears on, he seems less and less mentally stable, with this gradual progression a testament to Borgnineu0026#39;s acting ability (by comparison, Michael J. Pollard is irritating throughout, even as he grows easier to relate to in the filmu0026#39;s second half). Shot on location in rural Ontario, the film benefits from its isolated setting, which at first makes Borgnine seem all the more vulnerable until we realise just how hard it is for absolutely anyone to get help there given how far away the nearest neighbours are. u0026#39;Vengeance is Mineu0026#39; might not have big shocks as in films like u0026#39;Straw Dogsu0026#39; and u0026#39;Death Wishu0026#39;, to which it is often compared, but it comes with a quiet power and lingers in the mind long after it is over.”