Review of Show Me (2004) by Ashley T — 15 Dec 2006

I saw this as part of a double bill for the London Gay and Lesbian Alliance, which may well be a ma-hoosive spoiler for everyone else. But I was aware of it, so there.

Essentially a very indie psycho-sexual thriller, Show Me benefits from the naturalistic performances by the three principal actors, their positions varying wildly as the roles of torturer and captive alter nearly by the scene.

Another aspect of this type of filmmaking is that the claustrophobia of the situation makes for an uncomfortably sexual underpinning to the events, some scenes almost palpably erotic.

An issue must be raised to the sympathy bestowed upon the captors, as there is a heavy reliance on our ability to empathise with their situation, when in actuality they're both pretty dense.

Perhaps my biggest issue with this is that (with several recent thrillers), the plot owes itself almost wholesale to Polanski's Knife In The Water. And though Show Me is good, it ain't THAT good.