A Serbian Film (2011)

In Serbia, the retired porn star Milos is married with his beloved wife Marija and they have a little son, Peter, that is their pride and joy. The family is facing financial difficulties, but out of the blue, Milos is contacted by the porn actress Lejla that offers him a job opportunity in an art film. Milos is introduced to the director Vukmir that offers a millionaire contract to Milos to act in a film. However, Vukmir neither show the screenplay nor tell the story to Milos. Milos discuss the proposal with Marija and he signs the contract. But sooner he finds that Vukmir and his crew are involved in sick snuff films of pedophilia, necrophilia and torture and there is no way back to him and maybe it is too late to protect his family.

Allow me to start by saying I enjoy bloody horror films, in fact I often seek them out. My credentials for this review are well in order. Now. Allow me to explain why A Serbian Film is not that fantastic.

Here is the thing about creating a violent and scary film movie: it is all about pacing. Sure, I want to see something truly messed up, but it is all about how it is presented to me. Let us point to a movie that is in no ways considered violent or a splatter film. Let us take The Shining, for example. The film has limited violence throughout, sets up with great tension, and then shows me a guy getting killed. Although the death is in no ways violent compared to A Serbian Film or even most other films in the horror genre, I find it more disturbing in that it builds tension and then shows me something graphic. 

Now, call me foolish for comparing one of the greatest horror films of all time to A Serbian Film, but I feel the comparison necessary because this is where this film fails. It sends you shocking imagery rather quickly and, before you know it, you just don't care and find yourself writing this film off as another splatter film that tries too hard. Sure, the level of sexual violence may intensify throughout the film, but it is hard to be fearful of the next shocking scene when you know it will likely be a similar Human Centipede idea. The violence in this film sounds like a bunch of 13-year-olds trying to come up with something gross.

I'll give it 4 out of 10 stars.