Review of Straw Dogs (2011) by Sophie T — 09 Nov 2012

The tension is almost unbearable, and piles on consistently until one of the most disturbing acts of sexual violence I've seen in a movie, and continues into a disturbing series of physical violence in the films brutal climax. This is an intense movie, not as much because the violence is so explicit and graphic (which it is, including a rather creative use of a bear trap) but because it feels very real. I've seen plenty of movies where the violence is more explicit or gorier, but in this one the violence is still rooted firmly in some level of reality. It feels very real, and the characters feel real, and that is it's strongest trait. The line "everyone has a breaking point" is made firmly clear, showing an everyday not-always-likable and timid man and his wife being pushed clear to the edge. I also quite liked the "straw dogs" comparison, showing what this worship and discard culture towards certain people can conceivably lead to. I'm not saying all sports players are like this, not at all, but providing them this unjustified sense of entitlement that doesn't transition into the real world is unhealthy, and the consequences can be great.

Anyway, the movie's gritty, real, just fantastic.