The Student Nurses

This exploitation masterpiece from director Stephanie Rothman (Terminal Island) is an unexpectedly humanizing portrait of four young nurses navigating their careers and love lives. Sharon falls in love with a terminally ill patient. Priscilla is impregnated by a drugged biker. Phred’s career is jeopardized when she makes a grave miscalculation. Lynn’s life is changed by her connection to a Chicano revolutionary. Produced by “The King of Cult” Roger Corman, this graphic, erotic, and sometimes fantastical depiction of the women’s lives offers surprisingly insightful commentary on the politics of the 70s just before Roe v. Wade.