Review of A Serbian Film (2010) by Martin T — 24 Nov 2010

It takes the term 'torture-porn' to a new level, but unlike your Saw's and Hostel's, it seems this film has a point it's trying to make. Unfortunately, I'm not overly familiar with Serbian politics, therefore the point was somewhat lost on me. So I have to take this film at face value, and, yes, it's a competently made debut from director Srdjan Spasojevic. The subject matter is shocking (the concept arguably more shocking and disturbing than what we're actually shown here) but there's too many of the horror genre conventions at work here to get truly lost in the narrative.

Those with an open enough mind to enter into this movie will find a finely crafted well-told horror story. There's much to be said for and against this type of cinema, so I'll end with this: Watch if you're curious, but don't expect the film to have any lasting impact beyond initial shock value.