If you sat down and thought about everything horrible thing you'd want to see on film, you'd get this movie. Both the physical and mental violence go way over the top. It's compelling enough, though, that I stuck with it to the end...although the end disappointed with some weird afterthought of a plot you know nothing about and a violent dues ex machina at the end.
A woman gets run over by two drunks. The cops throw them in the cop car. An inspector comes by, check out the car, pockets the gun he finds and discovers a camcorder. Turning it on, he finds a record of the planning and brutal torture and killing of a transvestite prostitute. We're talking BRUTAL. The effects induce nausea. The perpetrators obvious enjoy the depravity they engage in. And it's dark, horrific stuff. Honestly. No joke.
The perpetrators get taken to jail where they're similarly tortured by the cops, Abu Grahib style. One finally cracks and tells them where the prostitute was killed. While investigating it, the cops find other tapes worse than the original one. Yes. Worse. One involves another prostitute. The other is a home movie about his family and the background that spurred his psychosis.
There's no good characters in this. Everyone sucks as a person. That said, the acting is pretty good. The victims look like victims rather than just people screaming. It's also too amoral to be depressing. You get too overwhelmed by violence and cruelty for it to have any effect.
I would have rated this higher if it hadn't been for the miserable "let's make a statement" ending that comes out of left field and the appearance of...well...no spoilers.
If you have a strong stomach, give it a shot.
A woman gets run over by two drunks. The cops throw them in the cop car. An inspector comes by, check out the car, pockets the gun he finds and discovers a camcorder. Turning it on, he finds a record of the planning and brutal torture and killing of a transvestite prostitute. We're talking BRUTAL. The effects induce nausea. The perpetrators obvious enjoy the depravity they engage in. And it's dark, horrific stuff. Honestly. No joke.
The perpetrators get taken to jail where they're similarly tortured by the cops, Abu Grahib style. One finally cracks and tells them where the prostitute was killed. While investigating it, the cops find other tapes worse than the original one. Yes. Worse. One involves another prostitute. The other is a home movie about his family and the background that spurred his psychosis.
There's no good characters in this. Everyone sucks as a person. That said, the acting is pretty good. The victims look like victims rather than just people screaming. It's also too amoral to be depressing. You get too overwhelmed by violence and cruelty for it to have any effect.
I would have rated this higher if it hadn't been for the miserable "let's make a statement" ending that comes out of left field and the appearance of...well...no spoilers.
If you have a strong stomach, give it a shot.