Review of Killing Ground (2017) by Jon R — 27 Dec 2018

This is a brutally realistic horror / violence film, but in a manner that US audiences might be unfamiliar with. Most of the movies we're used to seeing are voyeuristic, and blend torture with sexuality in ways that are decidedly pornographic - in the worst possible sense of the word.

This movie is gritty and compelling, and will literally have you getting more and more tense until the end. However, it never dwells too long on on the titillating or the horrifying. The story and the acting are realistic in every sense of the word. Evil is casual rather than leering; good is innocent rather than naive. The characters are people rather than archetypes we know how we're supposed to feel about.

As I write this, I just finished the movie less than 15 minutes ago, and as a jaded horror film fan, this movie rattled me in the best way possible. It's memorable because it's a thriller, in every sense of the word. It was meant for an intelligent audience.

I really wish there were more films like this in general, where the tension is more important (and effective) than in-your-face effects and acting.