FILM REVIEW: A Serbian Film

"The most powerful horror film."

Where do you even start with a review for this movie? This might not even qualify as a "review" in the typical sense.

Well to explain the paradigm from which I'm coming from, let me say I've always had a fascination with violence and "disturbing content" on film and in the media. So I've seen a lot of "horror movies" but also a lot of other weird and/or disturbing things. I've explored the worst of the worst but virtually never is there a film where violence is used to inflict really, really soul-scarring damage. That is because, you see, most "extreme" violence films are what I would call "trashy". This can refer to the poor quality of their presentation, but more often it refers to a type of attitude about violence.

Violence used for entertainment, I think, is perfectly okay and sometimes very awesome. On the other hand, violence in film can be a tool for evoking a different emotional effect has an entirely different impact on us as a viewer. And I have always been interested in this latter use of violence. I don't know why. Humans have always had that curiosity, they just externalize it differently. For me personally, I firmly against any form of aggressive violence so films that represent violence as something terrible, rather than "fun", have a certain appeal.

Most of the "most disgusting/violent/disturbing movies", according to the internet, are actually in the "trashy" category, so they aren't really all that disgusting or violent or disturbing. That is because they are just dumb and do not create an emotional effect beyond something superficial and shallow. Often they are just bad films, so they generate contempt for wasting anyone's time. They certainly do not create a real sense of HORROR or TERROR. And you know, I have always wanted to find the pinnacle of really disturbing/violent films for years now.

So now we come to A Serbian Film. This movie is definitely the most violent and disturbing film I've ever seen, without any doubt. I will not discuss the story at all or refer in detail to any specific scenes. I don't even really think anyone should watch this movie, and you can go read more about it elsewhere if you want to know specific details. I'm not really here to make this movie sounds interesting so that you go watch it, and honestly the basic premise is pretty clever so if I avoid that issue it's probably for the best.

With that preamble out of the way, I will say -- without hesitation, but still feeling a bit weird about it -- A Serbian Film is a MASTERPIECE. It is the scariest film of all time, easily. The way it creates an emotional attachment, establishes an atmosphere of utter, paralyzing dread, and its escalation from one unbelievably devastating, brutal, and shocking scene to another, is really, really effective. This movie really really, really terrifying. In terms of craftsmanship, the filmmakers really deserve credit. They know what makes a good horror film, and then they just raised the intensity and brutality to infinity and beyond. The level of depravity and cruelty inflicted upon people in this movie is really unimaginable to the average person. Even to me, and I assumed going into this film that I was "ready" for it.

Your heart will feel like it's going to explode about halfway into the film... and then it gets way worse. I almost couldn't bear to see what was going to happen in the end (although it's somewhat predictable... which actually makes it WORSE as the end approaches, because you start to anticipate what is coming). But I stuck it out to the end and it sucked. No, the ending did not suck in the sense that it was "bad", because it was a good ending in terms of climactic narrative, but in the sense that it BAD -- like "that's the worst thing I can ever imagine happening" kind of BAD.

Some people will jump in at this point and say, "Oh well it can't be as bad as X". No, shut up. You don't know what you're talking about. It's way, way worse than X. I promise you, I have seen all those obscure movies you scour google for days and weeks to find. "Oh but have you seen--?" Yes, I've seen it. "But i bet you haven't seen--". No, I've seen that too. And it's mostly trash.

But here is why this movie is not "trash". First of all, it is extremely well made. The production values are not ghetto at all. They are excellent. The cinematographic quality is exceptional. The quality of film and camera work and direction is great. The acting is very effective and the writing is sharp (even with some nice moments of tenderness and humor early on). But most importantly the story, which is not exactly realistic or anything, but it is completely absorbing and it makes the viewer care. We can appreciate the main character's situation. He seems to be a likeable dude. We want good things to happen to him and his family. But, then he is lured in by what seems to be a good opportunity and becomes quite literally enslaved to evil. Our empathy becomes horror magnified a thousandfold by the fact that we give a damn, and by the unbelievable intensity of evil perpetrated -- manipulating someone into doing something they would never do, something that is so vile that even talking about it will make you puke.

It almost makes you forget that you are watching this movie because it's supposedly the "nastiest ever" and not because it's just a good movie. Almost. But then it beats you like a sledgehammer as a good movie and the nastiest.

And yet here is the paradox. This is not really a good movie, like "I recommend this" or "I would watch this again." In that sense, it is the worst movie. But because it is the best worst movie, it is actually amazing. But your soul will be shattered when you watch it. The ending is literally the most horrible thing ever on film. I will certainly never, EVER watch it again. Just thinking about it makes me feel bad. But I cannot deny that it is incredibly powerful on its own terms, and it has to be taken seriously. This is not like our normal horror movies where violence is really part of the fun. Here with A Serbian Film, you dread violence like you do in real life. Well not quite, but you know what I mean. All possible goodness in this movie is utterly broken, corrupted, and destroyed by the end, through abject violence. Your soul bleeds into the ether as the credits roll. That is a powerful effect and there are not a lot of films that do that.

Is this movie "deep" or interpretative on some level? I don't know. Maybe it doesn't matter. "This is a diary of our own molestation by the Serbian government... It's about the monolithic power of leaders who hypnotize you to do things you don't want to do. You have to feel the violence to know what it's about." Those are the words of the director, Srđan Spasojević. Take them for whatever they're worth. Indeed, truly horrible things happen to people in real life. Real horror is real people dying and suffering and being forced to do awful things with real consequences. Look at real-world conflicts, with real rape and slaughter and torture. In that sense, this film is not so bad. No one died. No one got hurt. No actual children were exposed to anything inappropriate. But by drawing on some a real sense of loss and tragedy and horror they grew up with, the filmmakers create a really powerful horror film. I find that interesting.

My heart is racing just thinking about this movie. I feel like i could faint. Why did I even write this review? It makes no sense, I give it the highest possible "rating" while saying no one should see it and you will be scarred by it and probably react negatively even if you normally dig this stuff. Seriously. I could give it "zero-star" review and have the same content for this review. Another reviewer somewhere said it best, "You don't want to see this movie. You only think you do." Be careful. You can't go back in time and un-watch this movie after you watch it.

And so in seeing A Serbian Film, my quest for the most violent and disturbing film of all time is over. After seeing this movie, I am reduced to spending the rest of my days watching nice happy things like episodes of "Sailor Moon".

[CHIMP NOTE: This film has been banned in various countries. Read more at Wikipedia. People have gotten in trouble for showing this movie. I assume some countries' customs agents would confiscate it if they found it. Just so you know. Of course, you might just consider downloading it.]