Realistic and gritty horror!

Rating: 8/10 (24 March 2006)

An excellent film which delivers on horror by it's sense of realism. I disliked 'Cabin Fever' which was far too silly but this was a far cry from that. A little slow to begin with but this was clearly to build on character so that what occurs later in the film has more impact. A film of this kind has been a long time coming and takes the mythology of the Snuff movie to it's apex. Certainly not for the squeamish and although there are films out there with more gore it is rare that it is portrayed on such a believable basis and one leaves the cinema with the feeling that there really are people out there willing and capable of committing the atrocities shown in the film. Roth clearly nods to the Asian horror genre along with elements of films like '9mm' and 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' but the film itself is original enough to stand out on it's own. The acting was very good with strong, believable performances from all characters. The intriguing nature of the atrocities, which makes the viewer a voyeur, also adds to the horrific and sickening nature of the film. My two criticisms are first that there weren't more 'clients'of the human hunting service shown in the film as there could clearly have been a wealth of examples of depraved individuals which would have added to the film's horrific revelations. Secondly that we never discover who started and organizes the service as this could have added to the plot. A must see for horror fans although normal cinema goers may find this too shocking and disturbing but then that is what horror is supposed to be.