Deliverance (1972)

TCM, 9.00PM ★★★★

 Based on James Dickey’s novel, John Boorman’s film follows the misfortunes of four city dwellers (Ned Beatty, John Voight, Ronny Cox and Burt Reynolds) out on a canoeing weekend on the Appalachian River. Each man is punished in an ineffably brutal manner. It could be described as an efficient dismissal of the hippie ideal – or just call it the most economical and unflinching disaster movie of all time.