Sweet Karma

The last few years have seen many an attempt at emulating the 'grindhouse' style of the 70s and early 80s, with the aid of retro graphics, editing and music, plus computerised filters applied during post production to give that cheap, grainy drive-in look and feel. Sweet Karma employs none of these fancy tricks, and yet it proves to be one of the more satisfying exploitation experiences in recent memory: the film-makers tell their cool revenge tale with the requisite levels of sex and violence, but without any of the artificiality or pretension that has spoilt many a similarly themed movie. For once, this feels like the real deal rather than an OTT tribute or parody.

Playboy playmate Shera Bechard plays the titular character Karma, a beautiful mute Russian girl who goes looking for her sister Anna (Patricia Stasiak), who travelled to Canada in search of work only to find herself forced into Toronto's underground sex trade by ruthless criminals. Using both her brains and her scorching hot bod, Karma sets about dispatching the low-life thugs, sparking a gang war in the process, and it's not long before Toronto is knee deep in dead scumbags. This plot clearly owes a lot to classic exploitation films such as Ms.45 and They Call Her One Eye, but it still manages to carve its own identity, helped by some believable performances, well executed brutality, and a few unexpected plot turns, including a cool twist ending that genuinely caught me by surprise.

Andrew Thomas Hunt is already a few years in the television business as a writer and producer and by now he was ready to become first time director of this revenge flick. Andrew is also a photographer and by circumstances he came in contact with Shera Bechard, the main lead. By seeing her face and body he knew immediately that she was perfect for the role. And let me say, she was. Sadly this could be her only film project. She's still modelling and is going for that part but we are stuck here with her and she did an amazing job. Just to play the part of Karma is amazing, she needs to go nude, gave a lot of blood over her and act like she's a mute. She proofs as being Playboy's Playmate of November 2010 that she has more to offer than just her funbags. If this was made back in the seventies it would be a straight exploitation flick in the style of Last House On The Left. It is never that gory or bloody but it's just brutal, but not exaggerated as in for example Horseman. Still it's a nice flick to see with a great plot. Easy to see that it was low budget too, they never used extra lighting for some shots which add to the exploitation atmosphere. I liked it a lot even as a being a gorehound. Catch it while you can.

Playboy Playmate of the Month (November 2010) Shera Bechard gives acting a whirl. This is her first, and possibly only film, so you better run to see it.

A 70s style revenge flick that takes place largely in a strip club run by the Russian mafia, it is violent and titillating at the same time.

Naturally, the mob suspects a rival, not the sister of one of it's girls. That will give Karma time to kill a few more.

The bodies keep piling up as Karma seeks revenge only to find in the end that the cost may be too high.

Cool action in a seedy setting.

In the shadowy realm of crime thrillers, "Sweet Karma" (2009) emerges as a brutal, yet intriguing exploration of vengeance and the human spirit. Directed by Andrew Thomas Hunt and starring the enigmatic Shera Bechard as the titular character, the film weaves a dark and gritty tale of retribution in the seedy underbelly of Toronto's criminal world.

Karma, a mute woman of striking beauty, embarks on a merciless crusade to avenge her sister's death at the hands of a ruthless Russian sex trafficking ring. Bechard delivers a haunting performance as the stoic Karma, her silence amplifying the intensity of her actions. Through her eyes, we witness the pain and determination that drive her forward.

The film's visual style is reminiscent of the neo-noir aesthetic, with its desaturated colors and high contrast lighting, effectively setting the stage for this grim tale. Hunt's direction is unapologetically bold, presenting the gruesome reality of the sex trafficking industry and its associated violence without flinching.

However, "Sweet Karma" is not without its flaws. The lack of character development, particularly among the antagonists, can leave the audience feeling somewhat disconnected from the film's emotional core. This, coupled with an occasionally uneven pacing, detracts from the overall experience.

Yet, despite its shortcomings, "Sweet Karma" offers a compelling narrative that commands attention. The film's relentless brutality and Bechard's captivating performance ultimately overshadow its imperfections, leaving viewers with a memorable and visceral cinematic experience.

In the end, "Sweet Karma" stands as a testament to the power of raw, unyielding determination in the face of unspeakable cruelty. Though it may not appeal to everyone, fans of the revenge thriller genre will find a harrowing and satisfying journey into the heart of darkness. As the old adage goes, "revenge is a dish best served cold," and in "Sweet Karma," it's a dish served with a chilling, ruthless precision.

6 out of 10 stars.

Caught this film on Prime late at night (seems apt; right?). As a movie it is at once better than most of the poor reviews and worse than it has to be. I expect I am a sucker for any 'poor vulnerable girl left alone gets even with all who've mistreated her' stories and that's basically the plot here.

Shera Bechard does a pretty good job as Karma, an innocent mute girl from Russia attempting to avenge her sister's death at the hands of Russian sex traffickers in Toronto. It takes a bit of concentration to follow the timeframe as there are several flashbacks and the mute girl isn't explaining her backstory for you to understand her motivation. But that may be part of the grand design here.

Note her name: 'Karma', which in spite of how Anna explains her sister's name is really what her mission is. It's literary irony in the vein of Edgar Allan Poe. Don't tempt Karma!

Other than Shera Bechard the other actor of note is John Tokatlidis who plays the only other character with a substantive backstory - part of the twist ending so I won't reveal it here. Suffice to say the viewer should mind the other characters, even the baddies, because they do flesh out the picture somewhat.

Caveats: the violence is gory at times; the sex scenes are unpleasant; the club dancing is almost boring; the outdoor scenes are cold, dark and bleak; the language is crude and unimaginative - all deliberately so, to maintain the theme of the story, which is that the sex trade has absolutely NO glamour or nobility to it even if you think it might seem interesting, as a story theme, in just some macabre way. So it's easy to dismiss this as a 'bad movie' when it's really just a pretty good movie about really bad people in a really bad business doing really bad things (most of whom meet really bad ends).

Watch it late at night when nothing else is on - and pay attention. Maybe you'll see what I mean.