Review of The Bunny Game (2011) by Danielle P — 17 Jun 2012

Torture porn. A sub-genre that, by the nature of its label, sounds like a type of film that only the perviest of perverts would flock to. And yet, with movies like Hostel (and its many sequels), Saw (and its many sequels), and the cornucopia of 70's/80's horror film re-makes breaking through to mainstream success, torture porn has become an acceptable; NAY...widely accepted sub-genre of horror.

The merits of the films in the genre are arguable. No doubt many exist solely to shock viewers into an epileptic fit of puke and diarrhea. I believe it can be argued that others exist as masterworks of horror and suspense that can be proudly shelved by horror buffs who crave more than just bloody tits and severed heads. The Bunny Game would make a good party guest for Cannibal Holocaust, Saw 1, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Friday the 13th, etc.

More so than most horror filims, The Bunny Game teeters into art house territory. Graphic depictions of sexual acts, a black and white color scheme, a tiny amount of dialogue, and abstract shots and storytelling make it stand out from the very crowded torture porn genre. Unfortunately for the filmmakers and actors involved, all of those aspects will probably keep The Bunny Game from reaching any sort of mainstream success. The best the filmmakers can hope for, financially at least, is for a cult following.

It does the crazed-pervert better than any movie I've ever seen. It realistically, almost to a fault, depicts how a kidnapping-sexual-assault would likely go with a psychopath. It's not for the faint of heart. It's a slow-burning, disturbing film only suited for those certain they are fans of the genre. But if a fan of the genre you are, I believe the pinnacle of "torture porn" you will find.