Review of Penance (2013) by Gimly M — 02 Jun 2016

On the one hand, it does take two separate horror sub-genres (Torture Porn & Found Footage) and mesh them together in a fairly unique way. But on the other hand, in practice all that means is it takes the worst parts of two already shitty devices and does them both.

We get the nothing-plot and unnecessary brutality of the former coupled with the low quality and nonsense of the latter. If it's literally meant to be "found footage", why is there a musical score for the jump scares? Why is this woman who is clearly in her 30's telling the camera she is 24?

And nobody could have saved how bad a lot of this script is, but the actors that they chose couldn't have pulled off a brilliant one. All the actors that is, except for Michael Rooker and Graham McTavish.

Which brings me to Penance's one (kind of) redeeming feature: McTavish's Geeves. The villain of the piece is disgustingly horrific, and feels completely at odds with the lack of realism in the film surrounding him. He is a believable (and terrifying because of it) antagonist, and though it does not save the film at all, I cannot ignore the staying power of that character.

There's that, some decent gore effects, and some girls get their kit off. But it doesn't come close to making up for the rest of what Penance put me through.