Contraband Review

MPAA Rating: NR
Released: 1980

Contraband is one of director Lucio Fulci's lesser-known gems; a 1980's look at the Italian crime scene where a relatively peaceful cigarette smugger is muscled by a ruthless criminal drug syndicate. When this once easy-going smuggler loses those he loves to this syndicate, he begins a rampage of revenge, and blood will flow freely on the streets…

Horror aficionados are intimately familiar with Lucio Fulci, responsible for countless sleazy gore-fests such as New York Ripper and Zombie. This late Italian director was responsible for a stream of underground B-movies that focused very little on plot and very much on creative, gory ways to maim and kill people.

So what happens when you create a mafia film and give it Fulci's twisted touch? Contraband… and it's actually pretty entertaining in a B-movie kind of way!

The general plot revolves around two brothers, Luca (Fabio Testi) and Mickey (Giulio Farnese) Di Angelo who are part of a small-time cigarette smuggling operation in Naples, Italy. When a powerful rival syndicate led by Francois Jacois (Marcel Bozzuffi) moves in, a gang war erupts as they try to muscle out the smugglers in order to push their own potent drugs.

Luca isn't much of a soldier, but when his brother is killed and his wife (Ivana Monti) is abducted and brutally raped while he is forced to sit and listen over the phone, he has little choice but to take the war to the streets and exact violent retribution.

It's a typical plot that you would expect from a crime drama, but it also works. You won't get a masterpiece like The Godfather here, but if you enjoy mafia movies you'll probably get a kick out of Contraband nonetheless.

Some who enjoy mafia movies might be nervous due to the fact this is a Fulci production, but while it does contain some definite Fulci moments (a woman's face is blowtorched, as an example), for the most part the gore consists of bloody gunshot wounds such as a blown out throat, a nasty gut shot, etc. Yes, Contraband can showcase some pretty brutal stuff, but it's nothing too far beyond what we've come to expect from some entries within the mafia world.

In fact if you watched Contraband without knowing who created it, you probably wouldn't even know you were watching a Fulci production.

B-movies aren't known for their incredible actors, but this movie does contain one Italian gem: Fabio Testi. This guy just oozes with charisma and star power, and it's no surprise that he's built quite a name for himself in Italy. The other actors manage to get the job done without ever excelling, but Testi is just a joy to watch.

If you're a fan of bloody crime dramas you'll probably want to consider watching Contraband, just be warned it is an Italian film and therefore is dubbed. Lucio Fulci fans will probably find it interesting too, if for nothing else than seeing how Fulci handles an unfamiliar genre.

Movie rating: 7 stars

If you enjoyed Contraband you may also find the following films to be of interest:

Enjoy the Contraband experience in the comfort of your own home with these related products!

DVD

Movie Sitemap

Wondering if the Netflix service is all
it's cracked up to be? Read our
detailed review and find out!