I like uncomfortable movies – Hell, I have a Maniac (1980) tattoo portraying a mannequin with a bloody scalp nailed to her head permanently on display. Maniac came into my life when I was thirteen years old. I recall being at a video store, perusing the aisles, when my dad said ‘Holy shit, you have to watch this’. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the infamous poster featuring an anonymous man clutching both knife and (once again) a bloodied scalp – I was instantly intrigued.

This wouldn’t be the last time my father put me onto something that other parents would likely frown upon him for. He was the one that introduced me to Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) and Bad Lieutenant (1992). Though I likely could’ve went my whole life without seeing Harvey Keitel’s schlong, I’m none-the-less extremely grateful that my father put me onto these films. They’re dirty, they’re gross, and I’ll be damned if they didn’t leave lasting impressions.

Recently I delved into a Clint Eastwood boxset. I had recently come off the euphoric high of the Dirty Harry series, and what was slated next was a film called Tightrope. Upon mentioning this title to my father, he immediately said “Its weird… Really dark, borderline Bad Lieutenant. I think you’ll like it.” I was sold before I even knew what I was buying.

Tightrope is another Eastwood cop movie, but it doesn’t follow the typical formula the mean muggin’ man is known for. Not to say that Wes Block (Eastwood) isn’t a good cop, he most definitely is, and a loving, single father of two young girls to boot. That being said, much of this is juxtaposed by his seemingly uncontrollable weakness for prostitutes. The title of the film is derived from a metaphor applying to Eastwood’s character himself – A man balancing on a tightrope, battling the urges to be drawn down into darkness by his inner demons.

This may not sound all that severe on paper, that is what I had initially thought going in, too. I wasn’t prepared for the extreme levels of perversion executed by Block. Choking, handcuffing… I’m sure you get the gist. With such frequent flirtations with sadomasochism floating about, it should come as no surprise what happens next – A serial-rapist/killer stalking the streets of New Orleans is mimicking the behaviours of Block, following his every move and murdering each lady of the night he crosses paths with.

This movie is fascinating because it really isn’t an action film. It is slow, tense… A very seedy game of cat-and-mouse. Undoubtedly one of the darker films in the Eastwood catalogue, I feel as though some may be quick to avoid it due to the strong links between sex and violence. It is an abysmal corner of reality many of us don’t want to acknowledge let alone explore. But as mentioned earlier, I find this to be very effective film-making.

The link between sex and violence ties it to films such as William Friedkin’s Cruising (1980) for me. Not only that, but both are inspired by true events. Richard Tuggle has cited previously that he drew inspiration for Tightrope from the crimes committed by the Golden State Killer. The identity of the aforementioned murderer was unknown at the time, resulting in a mind-blowing instance of irony given that both the real man and the fictitious character inspired by him happened to be ex-cops. You just can’t make this stuff up!

In summation, this movie kicks ass. Yes, it is uncomfortable and some folks won’t dig it. I just highly recommend trying it on, even just once. As much as we all love Harry Callahan, we must also appreciate the versatility brought to the cop genre by the most iconic name within it.