The Last House on the Left is a 1972 American exploitation horror film written, edited, and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham. The film follows two teenage girls who are taken into the woods and tortured by a gang of murderous thugs. The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on a Swedish ballad - "Töres döttrar i Wänge".[3] The Last House on the Left LastHousePoster.jpg Theatrical release poster Directed by Wes Craven Produced by Sean S. Cunningham Written by Wes Craven Starring Sandra Peabody Lucy Grantham David A. Hess Fred Lincoln Jeramie Rain Marc Sheffler Music by David Alexander Hess Cinematography Victor Hurwitz Edited by Wes Craven Production company Sean S. Cunningham Films Enterprises The Night Co. Distributed by Hallmark Releasing Release date August 30, 1972 Language English Budget $87,000[1] Box office $3.1 million[2] Craven's directorial debut, the film was made on a modest budget of $87,000, and was filmed in New York City and rural Connecticut in 1971. It was released theatrically in the United States on August 30, 1972, and was a major box office success, grossing over $3 million domestically. Although its confrontational violence resulted in its being heavily censored and sometimes banned in other countries, the film was generally well received by critics.[4] The film was remade as The Last House on the Left in 2009.