Ms .45 (1981)

Directed by Abel Ferrara, Ms.45 (1981) is an American exploitation thriller film about a mute seamstress named Thana living in New York City’s Garment District. On her way home from work, she is sexually assaulted at gunpoint by an unknown assailant in an alley. In self-defense, Thana strikes the attacker with a small glass apple and then uses an iron to fatally beat him. Following the traumatic incident, Thana goes into shock the next day when her boss, Albert, aggressively rips a shirt off of a mannequin. This behavior worries her co-workers and she is sent home for the day. Alone at home, Thana dismembers the attacker’s body and keeps his .45 caliber pistol. After cleaning her bathtub, Thana decides to take a shower.

However, as she strips, she sees the first attacker in the mirror and is horrified. Mrs. Nasone, her nosy neighbor and landlady, begins to notice Thana’s strange behavior. The next day, while disposing of a bagged body part, Thana catches the attention of a leering young man on the street. Believing she dropped the bag by mistake, he retrieves it which frightens her. She runs through the city alleys, but when he corners her, she fatally shoots him in self-defense. Shortly after this incident, Mrs. Nasone sees Thana rushing up the stairs and throwing up. Concerned for her health, Mrs. Nasone insists on calling a doctor. Meanwhile, Phil, Mrs. Nasone’s dog, starts showing interest in Thana’s refrigerator. In shock from what has happened, Thana escorts Mrs. Nasone out of her apartment.