Thirst is a 1979 Australian Sci-Fi Horror film directed by Rod Hardy, starring Chantal Contouri, Max Phipps, Henry Silva, David Hemmings, and Shirley Cameron. Its plot has been described a hybrid of vampire fiction and sci-fi, with Soylent Green as a major influence.
The plot revolves around a young woman named Kate Davis (Contouri), who is kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as the Hyma Brotherhood which claims she is a direct descendant of Elizabeth Báthory and part of an ancient race of vampires. They take her to a compound where they clinically harvest the blood of brainwashed humans. Horrified, Kate refuses to join the Brotherhood, leading them to embark on an effort to slowly break her will in order to indoctrinate her into their ranks.
This film provides examples of the following tropes:
- Ancient Conspiracy: The Hyma Brotherhood have been clinically harvesting human blood for possibly centuries.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Dr. Gauss and Mrs. Baker, high-ranking members of the Hyma Brotherhood who embark on a mission to indoctrinate Kate into their ranks.
- Blood Bath: One of the Brotherhood's attempts to recruit and condition Kate involves rigging her plumbing to release blood instead of water while she takes a shower.
- Break the Cutie: A film-length example with Kate, who is slowly broken down by members of a sadistic vampire cult until she finally joins their ranks.
- Downer Ending: After failing to save her boyfriend Derek from the Brotherhood, Kate's will is finally broken and she submits to her new masters.
- Famous Ancestor: Kate is a direct descendant of Elizabeth Báthory, at least according to the Brotherhood.
- Hope Spot: Kate manages to steal an old Datsun truck and flee the Brotherhood's compound, only to be found and later captured by the cult's goons.
- Mind Rape: In order to unleash her thirst for blood, Mrs. Baker and Dr. Gauss subject Kate to all kinds of sadistic psychological abuse, forcing her to endure horrific hallucinations via the use of psychedelic drugs.
- One-Word Title: Thirst.
- People Farms: The Hyma Brotherhood compound, where drugged humans are clinically harvested for blood, similar to the collection farms in the later Australian vampire flick Daybreakers, only on a smaller scale.
- Token Good Teammate: Dr. Fraser is the only member of the Brotherhood opposed to the cult's efforts to condition Kate, believing it would only result in her losing any respect she ever had for them even if they were to succeed.
- Unexplained Accent: All of Dr. Gauss' lines are delivered in actor Henry Silva's regular New York accent, something which is never explained or even commented on at any point in the film.
