Unhinged is a 1982 American slasher film directed by Don Gronquist and starring Laurel Munson, Sara Ansley, Barbara Lusch, Virginia Settle, and Janet Penner. The film follows three young woman who are taken in by a mysterious family at their rural Pacific Northwest mansion following a car crash, where they are subsequently stalked by a violent murderer.
This film provides examples of the following tropes:
- Chewing the Scenery: In contrast to the three female leads, Ms. Penrose delivers her lines, looks, and gestures in the most dramatic manner possible.
- Does Not Like Men: Ms. Penrose believes everything and everyone to be under the influence of the men in her life whom she hates.
- Dull Surprise: The majority of the cast seem to be operating on cruise control. Nancy's unconvincing cries of "oh no!" as she's being stalked and killed by the man with the scythe stand out in particular.
- Sinister Scythe: While exploring the local forest, Nancy is attacked and killed by a cloaked figure wielding a scythe.
- Unsettling Gender-Reveal: After Terri shoots Carl, Marion chastises her for killing him. Terri demands to know what's going on, and Marion, now speaking in a deeper, more masculine voice, reveals that she is in fact Ms. Penrose's second son, and Carl's younger brother, presenting as female.
