Gefesselt - Liebe. Ehre. Gehorsam.

The story is dull and doesn't make any sense. There is no suspense and characters make absolutely no sense

Ate De Jong brings Mark Rogers' story of fetish, and horror to life in dark, visceral , sometimes uncomfortable intensity. Normally I pass on films that I consider torture porn, or at least I bail on the film once I get that impression. I am glad that I did not check out on "Deadly Virtues" because it is definitely a tight, methodical nightmare that pushes one to experience that taboo in the horror genre, the eroticism of sexual nightmares. Much like "Straw Dogs (the remake)", this movie goes into those areas and exploits those darker subjects.

"Deadly Virtues" doesn't completely nail it, there are moments that play out almost like cliché of the erotic horror subgenre. At times the energy falters, and certain moments that could have really pushed the horror over the edge are only mediocre. That being said, the characters are developed more than you usually see in these sorts of stories, the subtext is deep and dark, and the acting is captivating enough to cause you to built a very intense connection with the characters. Plus the ending is one that I didn't quite see coming, made me angry until the ending finally played out- an ending that is well worth setting through the sexual overture that runs through "Deadly Virtues", and that sense of discomfort in seeing some of the scenes play out.

Overall, "Deadly Virtues" is worth watching on so many levels. I enjoyed being pushed into less comfortable forays of "what is horror" and "what is erotic". Rogers story balances it nicely and De Jong brings it to scream wonderfully. The special effects are practical, even though they are limited and not a big focal point of the movie. The real focal point of "Deadly Virtues" comes from actually watching the film, experiencing this situation through the eyes of these tragic characters, and that ending. This is one of the better, more elevated torture-porn, exploitation, and modern cult films I have seen in a while.

Haneke would have a field day with this. He actually already had one - it's called Funny Games. Either the original version or the remake will do. And while this adds "eroticism" and bondage to the mix, it just never works. The movie is out to shock and tell a story about a bad man, trying to send mixed messages too. Shouldn't you obey if someone holds you hostage? Should go with the flow? All this could be interesting things to explore and if you're being nice to the movie, you sort of see them in this too.

Those are just a few of the things that could make this even more uneasy to watch! As if the torture and the general humiliation wasn't enough you might ask - the problem with that is that it just never actually makes a point in the end. Especially the ending which sort of alienates the viewer even more (Freedom can be different things and there are layers to that too, none of them explored here, not to mention the reveal and explaining it does with the very last seconds of its running time ... unnecessary)

It's a long and drawn out film, with a "torture porn" feel to it, whilst trying not to look like a soft BDSM clip. Nothing in this movie is really interesting. The characters are boring, the villain is boring, the plot is also predictable. Free on Prime, because i wouldn't go out of my way to rent this film. Little is done with sets and scenery. It could have been filmed on an iPhone. Elements of Munchausen syndrome mixed with sadism, you would be better off finding something else to do with you 90 minutes. Seems to appeal to ppl into japanese bondage and stress positions. This film is a pass..

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It had me hooked from start to finish. The way she was tied up at the beginning of the film made us squirm but we were hooked. I'm not a fan of torture films but for some reason I had to watch this one after scrolling through with my husband. The acting was brilliant by all and it had a twist at the end. Compelling, daunting and harrowing.

Well worth watching. My husband enjoyed it too but I hope he doesn't get any ideas haha.

It was a low budget film I guess but it didn't matter as the acting was amazing and everyone involved in the making of the film gets did a fantastic job.