Written by Stu Cooper
Today I'd like to talk about a film I've been avoiding viewing since I got a copy of it. The reason is because of the plot of the film. I knew from it's predecessor and the original film that it would be brutal, and I was absolutely right. That film is "I Spit On Your Grave 2" the 2013 follow-up to the 2010 remake. The one in 2010 starred Sarah Butler as a female writer who survives a home invasion and comes back for revenge, in brutal fashion. The sequel does not follow the same woman, but has a similar plot. The original film from 1978 was famous for it's gritty grindhouse feel and terribly long uncomfortable rape scenes. It came about in the midst of the popular "rape revenge" sub-genre that started around the time of "The Last House on The Left" and "The Hills Have Eyes". The remake was basically the same deal except with a modern update and different revenge kill scenes. The rape was pretty graphic in the newer one but not as bad as the 70's version. Either way, it's uncomfortable to watch and you have to be in a weird mood to view it. Now let's get to the sequel.
"I Spit On Your Grave 2" is about a young naive model named Katie who goes to a shady photoshoot and ends up leaving because the photographer and his brothers are making her uncomfortable. One of the brothers is a bit slow and weird and he decides to find out where she lives. The brother stalks her for a bit and then breaks into her apartment while she is asleep and is caught taking photographs of her. The film already starts off disturbing. Katie awakes, catches the brother, and proceeds to taser him right in the face! A real WHOA moment. Unfortunately that is not enough and the guy catches up to her, and proceeds to abuse and rape her. It's a very heartbreaking thing to watch, but with the pattern from the previous film, you are relieved by the idea that she will eventually get revenge. Unfortunately the other brothers show up and kidnap Katie, leave her in a dungeon for several days, abuse her, electrocute her, etc. It's very hard stuff to watch. To top it off there is a police officer who also participates, just to insure that Katie can trust no one. To make matters even worse they somehow transport Katie from New York City to Bulgaria! A pretty ridiculous idea, how did they get the lifeless body into an airport? Time progresses and she eventually escapes. You are so relieved to see Katie free at this point that you are rooting for her big time. The big payoff comes in the second half of the film as Katie proceeds to track down every person involved in what happened to her, and make them pay. This film is the definition of a rape-revenge film. If you want to watch a film that will flash you back to the days of 70's exploitation horror, this might be for you. This film is really brutal and uncomfortable, so I wouldn't recommend it for date night.
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