A Serbian Film

WOW... ok this is the first review I've done in a few years so I may be a little rusty now with that said I'm a HUGE horror fan and have seen all of the popular "extremes" to come down the pipe in the last few years and my friends, in terms of extreme and downright disturbing content, this one puts them ALL to shame in the worst (and best) of ways! The setup here is pretty simple (older porn star agrees to one last job for a huge payday yet isn't allowed to know anything about the script) and is told in a fairly straightforward slow burn-exploitation format but what sets this one so far apart is how real and well done the film is before the real horror starts. Milos (our protagonist) is just a family man trying to make ends meet and this is one of the few horror films where you Really feel for the main character and that's a big part of what makes all the downright SICK S@&$ that happens in the second half that much worse. The acting was a lot better than you'd expect from this type of film (especially from Milos) and helps add the emotional weight that really makes this a knee-breaker. Another huge aspect ASF gets right: this is scary as h@ll before anything really happens thanks to some absolutely top notch cinematography and a synth based score that will chill you to the bone and lets you know right away that some VERY bad things are coming and oh god do they ever... After a couple of very uncomfortable shoots at the start of his "film" Milos tries to back out and he (and us viewers) are dropped into a nightmare that is not going to be soon forgotten. There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said in terms of shocking content but I'm still shaking this film off as I type this so here's my 2 cents anyway: there really is a line of "showing too much" and this film wallows in crossing it and assaulting the viewer with truly the most disgusting scenes ever put on legit film (at least in the uncut version)! Honestly I would have given this an 8 had this been the cut version and showed A LITTLE restraint. That's not to say this isn't a quality horror film because it is of the highest kind just one that's impossible to recommend because of said scenes and the very real damage they could have on people. In closing this is our generation's "Dare Film" if you will. That ONE movie that you "bet someone won't watch" and for good reason. It's as much porn as it is horror and to say it's not for everyone would be the understatement of the year but ultimately I went in expecting a very strong political horror film and that's exactly what I got, and the need to take about 15 showers. It was clearly made by angry expert film makers that wanted to REALLY shock and make a good movie doing it and they succeeded in making one of the most disgusting and brutal films EVER. If that doesn't sound like something you're prepared for (and even most horror fans aren't) stay away, FAR AWAY

I've written a book and some articles about film censorship, so given the controversy looming around this particular film, and its highly interesting release history in the UK (read wikipedia for more), I got my hands on a pre-release uncensored copy. What's very interesting is that apart from some suggestive shots hinting at pedophilia and the extension of the film's most gruesome, unforgettable scene, it's all there, only left to the imagination - leaving me with the question I've come up with whenever confronted with such a case: if censorship leaves certain aspects to the spectator's imagination, isn't the effect even more stimulating?

Yes, 'A Serbian Film' undoubtedly runs for the title of the yuckiest film ever. Yes, it's definitely reveling in the very muck it pretends to criticize, i.e. the complete and total moral decay of our times. I would have very much favored an incorporation of the (presumably Western) consumers of the kind of pornography it deals with, for that remains the film's weakest aspect: the social commentary is quite accurate, but not sufficiently explored.

And yet, 'A Serbian Film' is still unmistakably a piece of art. The technical specs are top-notch for such a limited budget. The acting, especially Sergej Trifunovic as psychiatrist-turned-porn producer Vukmir, is nothing short of (disturbingly) wonderful. And most important of all: the underlying anger appears to be real. I was in Serbia for a festival last year (prior to this film's release), and cannot help but remember how similar some opinions and stories I heard were to the views expressed in this film. That being said, I completely understand why Serbs were outraged at this film. Being born in Romania, which has an equal share of ethical bankruptcy, I must admit that if this had been made in Romania, and called 'A Romanian Film', I would be very very mad.

This is one of those rare pieces of celluloid which will most likely not allow for any neutral point of view, like 'Mondo Can(nibal)e', or Pasolini's 'Salo', or the collected films of Catherine Breillat. The difference for me is that I usually dislike films of this nature because of their wantonly exploitative nature serving no narrative purpose; that purpose, however, exists in 'A Serbian Film', making it all the more disturbing and relevant.

OK, I finally got round to watching A Serbian FILM.

I consider myself to be in the heavyweight division when it comes to having seen the most hardcore of horror/shock films, i.e, Slaughtered Vomit Dolls, The Gateway Meat, Murder-Set-Pieces, Irreversible, Men Behind The Sun, All the Cannibal films, Nekromantik....you name it, I've probably seen it. Now, I have to say, NONE are as nasty as this beast!

Im not going to say what happens in the film, but even for me, some was hard to watch. BUT the actual film is GOOD!...If you can get through it.

The basic story is about a guy called Milos, who is a retired porn star, who in his day was the best actor in the business. Now he is a bit skint, so when he gets offered one last job, offering him enough money to set him and his family up for life, he just can't turn it down. He asks what the film is about, but the employer is reluctant to tell.....what happens is indescribable!!! Like I said it is very hard to watch in some scenes, but the film is actually really good, and the acting is solid throughout.

You got to think, the poorer European countries, are rife with crime, and money goes a long way. So if you are having hard times and a massive money offer comes your way...How far would you go!

For me 8/10, but I can't recommend it, simply for the content in the film. But if you think you can take it, and can appreciate it for the film it is, go for it!

So you think you have seen it all???? Think again, i reckon i have just witnessed the most disturbing extreme movie ever, and you know what, for the first time i have no idea whether to give this film a good review or a bad review, its not a film that you can enjoy, although it was very well made and preformed by the actors, so in a visual and technical term it was impressive.. The premise for this little shocker is simple, a semi-retired porn star is lured back to his profession to do this once in a lifetime shoot so he can make lots of money and secure his family, but he has no idea what the shoot will contain, so we the viewer have a birds eye view in the dark and very murky journey he goes through, as the porn shoot becomes more extreme he begins to realise what he's got himself into and the director has a shocking surprise for his lead actor in what he wants him to do, not to spoil anything (its a taboo busting subject) but lets just say that if you put Cannibal holocaust, Irreversible, Emanuel In America, and Martyrs in a blender, throw a baby in the mix and you have an idea what your letting yourself in for.....I know some people will be very upset watching this film and some people will demand that this film be banned, there are some scenes of extreme sexual violence that will anger some of the mainstream crowd, i just hope that the censors will leave this film the way the director intended.. Be cautious when you see this movie, if it gets a proper release this film will get mixed reviews, it will be sure to divide people apart and thats the beauty of this controversial film, love it or hate it, you will never forget it. I must admit i was relieved that the police never came barging in and arrested me and everyone at the preview...

An ageing porn star is given a chance to do something a little different, a movie that will take him in a whole new direction.

I was warned, I was warned by people who will probably read this review, I said I'd post it after watching it.

Initially there are a few interesting moments, and a few scenes where you're think you're in for something good, sadly as it progresses, all that is wiped, and lost in among a slurry of blood and gore. It simply goes too far, there were some decent ideas, but the realisation was just loathsome.

I wish I hadn't watched it, this has overtaken The Human Centipede as the movie I wish I could unsee. I am struggling to agree with those that class this as an art film, that's a joke, it's purely a sick fest, a movie about exploitation and depravity of the highest order.

I ordered this on dvd, I genuinely plan of chucking the disc at the bottom of a skip, in the hope that nobody picks it up and tries to watch it.

Detestable.

1/10.