Wild Youth (1960)
5/10
A deceptive title for a film much better than its title implies
7 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
NAKED YOUTH is an odd film--one that appears at first to be a stupid exploitation film and nothing more. However, despite the word 'naked' in the title, there is nothing naked at all in the film and it's just a low-budget thriller--one that is very good considering the amount of money they had to spend on the production. While it won't be mistaken for the work of Truffaut or Hitchcock, this cheapie picture isn't bad at all.

The film begins in Mexico. A vicious killer stabs a man who is carrying a package filled with heroin. The killer and his drug-addicted girlfriend plan on smuggling this into the States and making a fortune. However, in an odd (and very contrived twist), these two pick up three wild young people--two of which just escaped from prison. Now the idea of the killer stopping to pick up hitchhikers when they've got a package filled with drugs is dumb--a huge plot problem. However, when the three youths get into a fight with the crazed killer, the film heats up and becomes tense and exciting. You'd think the three young punks would be at a distinct advantage, but this crazy killer is more than a match for them!! Add to this tension involving the worst of the three trying to repeatedly rape the young lady and you've got quite a tense film.

Overall, despite low production values and a very poor DVD print, this film is well written (generally), very well directed and some of the acting is actually good. While it's far from a must-see film, it's a great example of a movie with limited means that manages to be entertaining and rise above the usual low-budget dreck.
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