An aging porn star agrees to participate in an “art film” in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia and necrophilia-themed snuff film.
Ten years ago when I was living in Bordeaux, France, my British friend told me he just watched “the most fucked up movie ever,” “A Serbian Film.” He went on to tell me in graphic detail how everything goes down and I remember promising myself I would watch it. Cut to ten years later, I’m now living in Philadelphia and my editor asks me to review the film. How bad could it be?
Milos (Zika Todorovic) is an aging porn star who’s offered a big role in an “artistic” adult film with the promise of a hefty paycheck. He lives with his wife (Marlena Gavritolic) and young son who knows very little of his past. His jealous brother Petar, envies his brother’s seemingly blissful family life and constantly makes passes at his sister-in-law. Petar also enjoys watching Milos’ old skin-flicks to compare his own perceived underwhelming sexual performance.
Milos’ colleague Lejla (Katarina Zutic) is seductively dressed and mentions the mysterious project is being directed by Vukmir, a well-connected filmmaker with powerful clients. Milos reluctantly joins the production and is blindfolded before being taken to various dingy buildings for horrific and violent sex scenes. As the filming becomes more and more depraved, Milos tries to find a way to quit and protect his loved ones.
It’s clever to frame a horror centered on sex and violence since both are often rooted in power and control. There’s a lot of negative pornography on the internet filmed through a misogynistic gaze that can give young people unrealistic and unhealthy expectations of intimacy. While I appreciate “A Serbian Film” for exploring such taboo themes, it’s just not my cup of tea. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a poorly made film, quite the opposite. The directing, script, and editing are so effective that I was frightened throughout the entire showing. That being said, I certainly couldn’t watch this again or recommend it to anyone I know without feeling as deceptive as the screenplay’s villains.
“A Serbian Film” has been banned in 46 countries and now it’s officially been banned in my home.
Now available in an Uncut & Uncensored Special Edition Blu-ray
