Our six week adventure through Ashley Judd thrillers has seen some highs (Kiss the Girls – listen; Double Jeopardy – listen), some lows (Eye of the Beholder – listen), and even mid-tier entries like legal thriller High Crimes (listen).
Alas things will get worse before they get better, which brings us to our fifth entry: Twisted (2004). Directed by Philip Kaufman (1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers) and written by female scribe Sarah Thorp, this psychological thriller finds Judd playing Jess, an up-and-coming homicide detective.
Jess has been mentored by Captain John Mills (Samuel L. Jackson) to remember everything, but lately her reliance on alcohol to cope with childhood trauma has left her with memory black-outs. On top of that, several of the men she’s casually slept with have begun turning up dead around San Francisco bodies of water.
Is Jess secretly killing these men? Or is it one of the many, many men in the film, including her new partner (Andy Garcia), a dismissive squad member (Titus Welliver), Jess’ jealous ex (Mark Pellegrino), serial rapist Coulter (Leland Orser), her police-appointed therapist (David Strathairn), or her other ex, DA Porter (D.W. Moffett)?
Jess must unravel the mystery with the help of lesbian-coded technician Lisa (Camryn Manheim) before she gets sent to jail!
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Episode 407: Twisted (2004)
Our second-last entry in “Thanks for the Judds” is 2004’s Twisted, directed by 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers‘ Philip Kaufman!
This wannabe Noir/Erotic Thriller was written by female screenwriter Sarah Thorp, and is weirdly judgey and misogynistic when it comes to sex and sexuality.
Plus: a queer-coded Camyrn Manheim; red herrings for every male character; a too-obvious villain; and the return of “Merry Christmas Daddy”!!!
Cross out Twisted!
Coming Up Next: We’re wrapping up “Thanks for the Judds” with Judd’s best performance (ever) in William Friedkin’s devastating adaptation of Tracy Letts’ play, Bug (2006).
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