Selling Isobel

TW: Rape, Sex Trafficking

This is a hard watch. Frida Farrell lived a traumatic experience, and I can't imagine how she ACTED through her experience all over again. In this film based on personal true events, Frida plays Isobel. Isobel is a single mother who gets approached by a charismatic man in a coffee shop, and offered $7,000 for a short photoshoot. After getting his card and speaking with her boyfriend, she decides to take the chance.

The photographer and situation is sus and awkward, but I could see how somebody could get swayed by the situation. She seems like a smart cookie with a pretty good head on her shoulders and has reservations, is blinded by the dollar amount, and it shows that something like this could happen to anybody.

Second photo session is where things went wrong. Really wrong. And this is where you feel deep empathy for the fact that this woman LIVED this, and then re-lived it through this experience.

She's drugged, raped, sold, and tortured for three days. Based on Frida's interviews, much of her experienced was embellished in the movie due to her being so heavily drugged. That doesn't make this situation any less real.

Many women have experienced this, and this is another sex trafficking movie that brings it into the light.

This woman is not stupid. She was brought into an unbelievable experience, and you never know how you could possibly act if this ever happened to you. This movie provides an important message. As hard as it is to watch, I think it's important to be aware that this could happen to anyone. The message in this movie is the most important aspect of it, apart from the entertainment value.

This movie was shot primarily in one room, with a small number of actors. The acting was mostly good and believable. I'm highly impressed with Gabriel Old's appearance as Peter. He was fantastically evil. I hate that I even liked him at moments? I'm uncomfortable with the lead actress being the victim of the true story, and it makes it hard to understand why she would do this. To get her story out, perhaps. To cope with her trauma, maybe. It's just odd.

It's hard to judge the actions of the main character, as it is a "real person". But I do wish she fought back more, that she showed more drive to escape. That she stabbed the dude directly in the neck. Who am I to judge? Someone that has never experienced anything like this?

Rating: Victim playing herself: Yikes/10 Acting: 7/10 Story: 6/10 Milk chugging: 2/10 Low budget, high impact: 7/10 Overall rating: 6/10.

I did not expect this movie to be so graphic but realizing the woman playing the part was the victim sends the message loud and clear. This movie needs to be shown to teens and women to show how this can happen to anyone, and that does include boys and men. People are trafficked every day and more films and meetings need to be at schools and communities concerning this especially at this day and time. I will recommend this film to others. I was horrified but I commend her for doing this film and having to relive that experience. She truly is a survivor. Hope she is living her best life, she truly deserves that.

Some of the performances were decent and it obviously sheds light on an important issue, but.... she went to the apartment.... ALONE?... TWICE?? Did she actually do that in real life?? If she did, doesn't that make her seem either unbelievably naive or dumb or both??

Obviously this was an extremely traumatic event in Frida's life. I know she says she's not a victim but a survivor, which she definitely is. However, it would be ñhard for me to believe that she doesn't have PTSD and anxiety at the very least, especially since none of the perpetrators were ever caught. I just find it extremely odd that she would want to play herself in the movie. I can't imagine putting myself back into demoralizing and exploitive scenes. She must have had one hell of a support team. I know I wouldn't have been able to reenact my own rape, especially in such a brutal way. Nevertheless, I'm glad she's still here to tell her harrowing story m.

I was a little reluctant to watch this film. From the premise, it seemed I might be subjected to a dispiriting and overly grim tale. It is a tough view, but I was very glad I saw it. The story, based on true events, of a young woman who is kidnapped and forced to be a sex slave is beautifully told, impressively performed and totally engrossing. Now get this: Isobel, played by actor Frida Farrell was the actual real-life victim of the events this film is based on. And she is sensationally good. There's also a terrific performance from Gabriel Olds – this is virtually a two-hander. It reminded me of the film Room which has a similar theme, but I found this to be better and more involving in that I got completely lost in it in that rare way that makes for a special viewing experience. (The person sitting next to me in the cinema had a beer. It wasn't until the end of the film that he realised he hadn't taken even a sip!) The film is low budget and made in a very short time. Don't worry about that – this is high octane, pure cinema. I loved it.