Refreshingly bleak, brutally emotive storytelling

Rating: 10/10 (6 April 2013)

Similar to A Clockwork Orange, Requiem is a dark, disturbing and violent parable, so raw and vicious as to demand one viewing and, for many people, not require another.
The characters are real, their downward spirals are relentless but utterly plausible, and both the actors' and director's levels of commitment to the ultimate vision are beyond question. Graphic and soul-destroying sexual exploitation, emotional abandonment, hope utterly trumped by despair, the crushing weight of regret, and young dreams and old alike shattered.
As much as Requiem is hard to watch a second and even a third time, once you know what's coming, it's such a captivating car crash as to be impossible to turn away from. Every viewing is punishing, and more rewarding than the last.
It is a must see, it is unforgettable, and unlike most big features of the modern era, this jawdropping and turbulent piece of filmmaking takes the viewer on a roller-coaster headed one way - unapologetically downward. Stunning.