Escape from Hell

Confusing this because it seems Mr Mulargia made two versions of this with the same cast and given the same title. This one has an alternative title of Hell Prison (UK video) and the other is sometimes known as Hotel Paradiso (and Hell Prison!!). The other film has a notable scene where an inmate is kissing a warden and bites off his tongue, whereas this one has Adjita Wilson suspended spread eagle from a platform and lots of leeches in the swamps. Anyway, to the matter in hand and it's not a pretty sight. Very sweaty, very sleazy jungle set W I P with lots of sex and violence. If, however you feel the outrageous and degrading violence becomes torturous for the viewer during the first half hour just wait for the drawn out and torturous escape through the jungle in the last half hour. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood but despite the presence of Ms Wilson and a spirited performance from Antonio De Teffe as the alcoholic doctor this seemed all rather tedious if graphic standard fare.

Femmine infernali is a lurid slice of jungle-set exploitation cinema that leans heavily into the atmosphere of confinement, tension, and heat. On the surface, it delivers exactly what it promises: a women-in-prison fantasy wrapped in tribal danger and raw survivalism. But beyond the genre's standard provocations, there's a surprisingly effective moodiness to the visuals. The cinematography, while clearly hampered by budget, captures the oppressive humidity and isolation of the jungle setting with grit and purpose. Sunlight filters through overgrowth, smoke wafts in slow curls, and the camera often lingers just long enough on bruises, sweat, and fear to create an unsettling tone. It's never beautiful, but it is effective.

Where the film falters is in its pacing and uneven tone. Moments meant to titillate often undercut the seriousness of violence or trauma, leaving some scenes feeling exploitative in the most literal sense. Mulargia seems unsure whether he wants to shock, thrill, or critique, and that indecision creates tonal whiplash. The dialogue, particularly in dubbed versions, ranges from serviceable to unintentionally hilarious, which may entertain cult fans but diminishes any genuine emotional impact.

Performance-wise, Cristina Lay manages to ground her role with more nuance than the film often deserves. Her restrained expressiveness and steady presence add a thin but welcome layer of realism to a story that often veers into caricature. Cintia Lodetti leans more into the genre's flamboyance, delivering an exaggerated but undeniably magnetic performance that plays well within the film's exploitative framework. Most of the supporting cast serve more as visual props than fully realized characters, but that's par for the course in films of this stripe.

In the end, Femmine infernali is neither a total misfire nor a forgotten gem. It's a pulp concoction with moments of surprisingly competent craft. For fans of grindhouse-era sexploitation, it scratches a specific itch, but casual viewers will likely be more puzzled than engaged.

This is about your typical "women in prison" type scenario. The women are incarcerated, try to escape, get raped in the process etc.etc. There is a lesbian scene towards the end but, the rest of the movie was quite boring. I found myself pressing the fast-foward button most of the time. I would say forget about it but, the love scene in the cell was eye catching and is probably the only reason I would recommend this film.

I must not have done my research or just forgot that I was about to watch a 1980 Italian "women in prison" flick because my jaw dropped upon seeing some of the sex scenes in this. I am wondering if there is an X-rated version floating around out there because it was obvious that there was some real oral sex going on in this movie.

Another reviewer mentioned they thought this was Troma's worst film in their library. You must not have seen all of the Troma films because Troma has some real stinkers. But I wouldn't call this a Troma library film, but a Troma sponsored re-release. There are Troma films and then there are films that Lloyd Kaufman buys the rights to so he can make more cash on them by packaging them and releasing them. This is one of those. I guess if Troma was going to re-release a "women in prison' flick this is fits the Troma standard- trashy.

Great family entertainment! OK, maybe not.... But, man, what an excellent piece of sleaze. Great sex scenes (in the first sex scene you can see that the girl is actually performing REAL oral sex on the male guard),the stand-out being the sweaty lesbian scene in the jail cell... very steamy. The rape scenes are a little too rough and suprisingly realistic (one guard holds the lead actress while the other gropes and performs REAL oral sex her) but my guess is that the cast is probably of the hardcore background due to the scenes they perform in this film. It may not have the wit of Caged Heat or the originality of The Big Bird Cage but it sure does know the right parts to imitate. While this may not be the "watch with the girlfriend" type movie it's a great guilty pleasure... and one hell of a Sleazy/Trashy/Morally devoid piece of filth!!! GOD, I LOVE IT! 9/10.