I think it is pertinent to start by stating that I find this schlocky, exploitative B-movie tremendously thrilling and gripping, and the fact that it was brilliantly made by Coralie Fargeat, a female writer-director, and is partly in English and partly French (with subtitles) means that I only need to feel half as guilty enjoying the gratuitous sex, which in this case leans towards the male instead of female nudity; and the bloody, imaginative and gruesome violence that many, including me, will have difficulty watching without flinching. While the performance and delivery is on the level of B-movies, thankfully, this isn’t a film with much dialogue as it lets the action do most of the talking. The premise is simple: a couple having an illicit sexy weekend at a remote lovepad is interrupted by his hunting buddies who arrive earlier than expected and very, very bad things then happen. The end result is like if a hyped-up Tarantino remakes The Accused, or maybe I could say the bastard child of I Spit on Your Grave and The Most Dangerous Game, if I had seen either of those films but I’d imagine I’m that far off wrong. This is a film that strives to ground itself in realistic and believable storytelling, and for the most part it succeeds, except for a couple of times when it lapses into horror film clichés and the one small cauterization-related plot point that I have to make myself suspend my disbelief upon, otherwise, this is visceral and uncompromising, wicked and rather satisfying to watch, and I would even say fun too if it didn’t left me feeling rather traumatized in the end. Recommended but considered yourself warned.
@SubtitledFriend 