Drama Cult Classic

A schoolteacher's deadly cover-up spirals in this low-budget psychological horror.

TAINTED

1987 · 01:29:00 · NR · Drama / Horror

Psychological horror / suspense story centers around Cathy (Shari Shattuck), a young school teacher married to the owner of a crematorium. After she's attacked and nearly raped by her ex-husband, Cathy kills him and attempts to cover up the murder.

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Quick Answer

What is Tainted about?

Tainted is a 1987 American drama-horror film directed by Orestes Matacena about a schoolteacher who kills her ex-husband in self-defense and tries to cover up the murder.

The SassyFlix Take

Tainted leans hard into psychological horror on a shoestring, putting Shari Shattuck’s Cathy through a tense moral wringer after a deadly confrontation with her ex. The grim setting of a crematorium and a fraught cover-up plot keep this ‘80s indie drama simmering with dread.

From the Vault

Proof you don't need a blockbuster budget to make things very uncomfortable.

Why Cult

Psychological Spiral

Cathy's desperate cover-up after a violent encounter with her ex-husband delivers a tense, character-driven horror.

Crematorium Setting

The unique backdrop of a crematorium adds a macabre layer to the suspense and moral ambiguity.

Low-Budget Suspense

True to its indie roots, the film squeezes maximum tension from minimal resources and a tight cast.

Synopsis

The film is a low-budget suspense drama about Cathy (Shattuck) a young school teacher married to the owner of a crematorium. It is centered on Cathy's attempt to cover-up the murder of an intruder who attempted to rape her. The cover up of the rape is due to the man that raped her being her ex-husband in the film.

Details & Specs