The first of Almodovar's above-ground movies is a lot cruder (technically, as well as in subject matter) than his more recent mainstream hits, but his fans will cherish it all the more for its defiant grunge spirit, closer in tone to John Waters than the smooth melodramas he has subsequently perfected.
Maura is Pepi, a virginal degenerate raped by a policeman who spots her marijuana plant and pulls a Bad Lieutenant act on her. Her revenge involves introducing Luci, the cop's submissive masochist wife, to Bom, Pepi's lesbian punk rock sadist best friend. With a mix of colourful tat and downmarket sleaze, the film features pissed-on faces, cock-measuring contests, transvestite bubblegum pop and endearingly perverse women.