#fear and terror / drama / revenge / rape and revenge / violence / blood / cabin in the woods / emotions /

VIOLATION

drama, psychological thriller / Canada / 2020 / 1h 47 min

The bitter taste of revenge

A loaded machine gun, thickly pouring blood, spitting on graves, or the relief drawn on the face when the body is dismembered with an ax – forget about it all! This is not another classic rape and revenge movie with a woman maddened with rage and consumed by the thirst for revenge. After many years, Miriam, tired of life crises, returns to her family home hidden in the Canadian wilderness. She wants to spend some time with her long-lost sister and have a little peace. Her well-being is visibly improved by the acquaintance with her sister’s husband, with whom she quickly develops a close relationship. The deepening friendship and the perceptible chemistry end with an innocent kiss by the fire… which, in turn, leads to a nightmare.

Liters of blood will not leave stains on the walls, the action will not start rushing too fast only to end with cleansing decapitation, and cruel deaths will not cause a mixture of disgust and satisfaction. Not this time. The feature-length debut of Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli is a refined and subtle slow psychological thriller about rape and revenge, which does not fit in with the popular genre patterns. The directing duo focuses on realism and emotions. The creators throw us into the world of an emotionally unstable heroine, marked by the trauma of painful experiences. Miriam’s revenge is not sweet and liberating – it is a process that leaves wounds as deep as the crime for which she wanted payback. The discomfort and confusion of the viewing experience are deepened by the distorted chronology of events, intense close-ups, visual understatements, and long scenes in which the silence of the peaceful forest is interrupted by deep breaths, pleading whispers, and suffocating sobs. Everything overwhelms us more and more with each passing moment.

On the screen, we can see Sims-Fewer – the director, screenwriter, and producer of the movie, who played the main character. The fact that she drank half a liter of saltwater to genuinely vomit in one of the scenes proves her commitment to the project.

Splat! suggests: Trips to cabins in the woods end tragically in most cases. Remember, however, that sometimes the greatest threat comes not from the basement or a psychopath with a machete but from a loved one whom we trusted … Not all masks are easy to see.

directed by: Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli
screenplay: Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Dusty Mancinelli
starring: Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Anna Maguire, Jesse LaVercombe, Obi Abili, and others
cinematography: Adam Crosby
music: Benjamin Woodgates
language: English
subtitles: Polish

WORLD PREMIERE: Toronto International Film Festival 2020

Age restriction: 16+