I Spit on your grave review

The job of the movie reviewer is to keep an open mind and view and rate all films on their individual merits, whether or not it is from a genre you are a fan of. There aren’t many reviews who get excited about remakes, and these are often the hardest to review. There is a curiosity factor, however, to see what the new director, producer and writer have come up with to bring something new to the floor.

This is particularly prevalent when it is a remake of a cult classic that you think couldn’t possibly improved, but I Spit on Your Grave ticks all the boxes. Whilst the original is still one of the best films ever in the horror genre, this new version works on every level, including the emotional side which is normally where remakes fall short of the mark.

So to the story; Jennifer Hills is a novelist who attempts to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city by renting an isolated cabin out on the words to try and concentrate on writing her latest book. Soon after she settles in a violent bunch of rednecks break into the cabin and brutally rape, torture and terrorise Jennifer.

At this point you need to be aware that the rape scene is one of the most brutal ever to appear on a movie screen, and will it is vital to set the scene for the rest of the film it is very long and extremely uncomfortable to watch. The rape is so explicitly realistic that you feel the pain of Jennifer and want to stop it happening, especially when they leave her battered pretty close to death.

As she recovers, Jennifer lets her primal instincts take over and this previously mild mannered girl becomes a monster and exacts the most unrelenting and gruesome revenge on every one of her attackers. The kills are some of the most original and inventive seen in a film for many years.

Some critics have said she goes to far, but can you go too far when you are a woman and have had the most heinous of crimes inflicted upon you? Most viewers have said they viewed these murders with pleasure and enjoyed every moment of seeing these bastards get everything they deserve.

I Spit on Your Grave is excellently written, directed and acted. It takes the original elements and builds upon them, which makes the film feel like an original rather than a remake, and is an excellent piece of film making any horror fan will delight in watching.