Srđan Spasojević
A Serbian Film

LA RECENSIONE

I feel it, this is going to be a difficult review.

A Serbian Film is an absurd, hallucinatory, grotesque, and above all, brutal film.

A retired porn star in desperate need of a gig due to a lack of money is contacted by a mysterious admirer for a special film with a sky-high budget but an unknown plot: the protagonist decides to accept, tempted by the large sum at stake, without knowing what he would encounter.

From there, an outburst of unheard-of violence, both physical and psychological, where sex and death (here we go again!) meet in the most explicit way in a vortex of madness hidden under the veil of the pleasures of the flesh and the profession of a porn actor.

A screenplay that intentionally deceives the viewer, who has absolutely no idea what they are getting into, much like the protagonist, and is forced to endure a climax of brutality that, in my opinion, has few equals compared to similar films; the lack of depth sometimes evident in a Martyrs or in the "good" old Salò by Pasolini is compensated by a direction that is equally raw and almost cartoonish, yet surprisingly does not fall into the clichés of the usual Horror Movies.

The ending, which I will not reveal, represents one of the most devastating and sinister things I have ever seen on screen, an absolutely beyond all possible limits grand guignol, but damn lucid and under the skillful control of the director and the actors, really talented in all the physical and psychological "shades" the film requires.

Excellent locations, the overall plot progression is very good, and even the music.

Now comes the difficult verdict: is it a good film?

Yes and no: if for you Horror is just an excuse to have a laugh, this film would deserve the minimum, if not even zero; if for you Horror is a reason to be disturbed and to experience strong emotions, to be scared to death especially by what the human mind can produce, then the film deserves the highest possible marks, because in 10 years since the first time, I have yet to see a Horror so visceral, brutal, and devastating.

Not recommended for the faint of heart.