Gurotesuku

Grotesque (2009)

*** (out of 4)

Extremely graphic, depraved and vile film from Japan about teenagers Kazuo (Hiroaki Kawatsure) and Aki (Tsugumi Nagasawa) who are on their first date when they're kidnapped by a sadistic surgeon (Shigeo Osako) who takes them back to his house, ties them up and begins to torture them. As a life-long horror fan it seems every few one, two or three new movies cause a stir but when you finally get around to watching them it's clear that it was all hype and they're usually disappointing. Over the past few weeks I had heard a lot of GROTESQUE and I must say that director Koji Shiraishi has made a very brutal film that lives up to everything that has been said about it. The movie is a vile piece of trash but there's no question that it's well-made and certainly effective. I guess you could say that this is Japan's answer to American series like SAW and HOSTEL but those films don't have anything on this. The torture scenes, as you'd expect, are extremely graphic in detail so I'd say that 98% of people out there aren't going to be able to stomach them. I'm a pretty jaded horror fan and I've seen some incredibly brutal films but this here would certainly rank right near the top. The sexual violence in the film includes an incredibly humiliating situation where the girl is raped in a way that I won't ruin here but it's certainly one of the most unpleasant things you're going to see. The torture devices include a chainsaw, eye gouging and a couple scenes to the male anatomy that is going to have male viewers turning their heads like children. At just 75-minutes the film really doesn't waste any time building up a story or trying the stretch out the characters. In all honesty this is a good thing because a film like this doesn't need any boring backstory and in fact the worst thing about the movie is the one flashback introduction to the two teens. The performances by the three actors are extremely good and very believable. Both victims really make you feel the pain they're going through and Osako is so cold and chilling that he's certainly a character you'll never get out of your mind. GROTESQUE is thankfully going to appeal to very few people and it's hard to recommend except to those who want to see how far you can be pushed with violence and torture. It's hard to stomach but it's effective.

A doctor with sickening and depraved needs kidnaps a teenage couple and forces them to play his depraved game of physical and psychological torment and agony, whilst constantly teasing them with promises of eventual survival and release. This film will no doubt stimulate debate, particularly In the 'English speaking world', as to what Is acceptable In movies and what Isn't (Japanese cinema Isn't very well represented outside of Japan, so the current and most popular genres of modern Japanese cinema are largely unknown to the outside world). How this film passed the censors Is beyond me, yet 'Grotesque' Is apparently available to buy and rent In most countries.It has very realistic scenes of male and female rape and the most terrible kinds of torture Imaginable. The whole thing has only the three characters and apart from the opening scenes, we never go beyond a couple of rooms throughout the whole movie.If you enjoy extreme physical & psychological torture, then this Is certainly the film for you. Sadly, there's no story to It - we just watch the agony of the two Innocent kids!

A physco torture a new couple in extreme manner with any revenge motive...this is story and screenplay of the movie without twists and turns..i dont recommend to this film for weak heartened peoples...

I know this was withdrawn by the BBFC, but I can't believe this was even considered for a release. I just finished watching it and it is basically just 2 people (a guy and a gal) getting tortured, raped and abused by a sick deviate! What you see on screen is VERY hard to watch at times (Nipples getting cut off with a pair of scissors, and a rape scene involving both the MALE and FEMALE!)), and the camera never shies away. I must say the gore effects are very well done. I picked my copy up off ebay for 4 pounds, I Wasn't disappointed, I knew what I was letting myself in for, but it is very sick, and most people will absolutely hate it...plus there is ablsolutley no plot whatsoever, why he tortures these two nobody really knows!

How on earth this nearly saw the light of day in the UK, the BBFC would have been slaughtered for letting it through!

Well, having heard mention of the BBFC banning on Twitter, old school curiosity got the better of me. That compounded by being told I'm not allow to, made me watch it.

I have to say I'm surprised they even bothered going to the expense and effort of submitting it to the BBFC. I can't see them ever passing it really. Its competently made, and fairly well filmed considering (compared to the Guinea Pig films at least) but really has no emotional content or story. Pretty much just the couple and the torturer, and about 3 locations. Admittedly I saw it with no subtitles but there was obviously not much going on story wise, just abuse and torture in a fairly unpleasant way. As usual for these types of movies, fairly boring and pointless, interspersed with endurance pushing scenes of torture. The only bit of amusing fun gore was the absurd scenes at the end. On the whole not really recommended.

Maybe I'm getting old, but I really can't work out anymore what or who this type of film is made for.