Before I actually say anything, I need you to know this is a warning. If you have any part of your soul you respect and cherish, do NOT see this film.
While some will tell you it is art. And some will tell you it is all an allegory for how the Serbians are treated and thusly ignored by their own government. Still, this movie acts like a parasite. It gets under your skin and it just sort of feeds off of you. And slowly, like a poison, it destroys you.
This is the closest you will come to a movie that is anything like the video that kills you in the movie The Ring. This movie may not kill you straight away. But I can promise it will kill a part of you. Even the strongest of you. I have seen the most disturbing films ever made (Mordum, The Guinea Pig Series) and NOTHING in my life prepared me for this film.
If anything, this article is me begging you guys not to EVER subject yourselves to this.
I have seen many depressing films, some of my favorites I have cataloged here, but this film is beyond depressing. It is beyond hopeless. It crosses the line so much, the line gets covered in blood and feces.
This film curdled my soul like spoiled milk.
So what is it about? Is that what you are asking me now? Do you really want to know?
Well, let’s start with the trailer:
You feel it already, right? feeling like you have seen something you shouldn’t.
Now understand, I had heard a lot about this film, and told myself I would never see it. But to the same degree, I do a lot of writing about cult films and extreme foreign horror films for http://unrealitymag.com/, so it seemed more and more likely that, even though I had NO interest in seeing it, I might have to for the sake of my job. Plus, the worse thing any journalist of any kind can do is condemn something or judge something unfairly before they have given it a chance, so, reluctantly, I finally sat down to watch this movie alone the other night after my girlfriend had gone to bed.
I hope this next picture indicates just how much of a mistake that was:
This pic is LITERALLY the mildest thing you can find for this film.
The film itself is about an out of work porn star living in Serbia, who is trying to provide for his family as times get harder and harder. He gets propositioned for one last role, and the money he would acquire from the role would pretty much secure him and his family, financially.Though there are some minor details, which is ultimately, you need to sign up before you know anything about the movie. And ofcourse, he does.
We then get some insight into what is going to be expected of him, and the director shows him a video of some of his other work. I refuse to talk about the newborn baby scene. I just won’t validate it by putting it into print. It is, by far, the single sickest thought ever conceived by anyone, and the fact that ANYONE would sign up to be in a movie that features a newborn being (censored) to death is mind-boggling to me.
This is the single moment when you know this film is being f*cked up just to be f*cked up.
You really cannot wash this movie off your soul after seeing it.
Yeah, they say this stuff happens in Serbia and little is done about it or reported about it. I don’t doubt that. But I don’t need to SEE IT.
And just because it existsm does that mean it needs to exploited in a film? Millions of woman over the years in Africa have had their genitals mutilated in an age old tradition that is cruel and heartless. That exists. But I don’t need a movie about it. And that is exactly how I feel about A Serbian Film.
And for stupid people, no one will even pick up on the allegory, so it will just be a movie with baby (censored) and people who (censor) other people to death. Or make them (censored) their own family members.
So anyway, at this point in the movie, the lead character is like ” F*CK THIS!” and bounces, only to be confronted by some “evil henchmen”. He then wakes up, a week later, with no recollection of what has happened in the last week. He is bloody and confused, and ends up finding a video tape of some of the stuff that happened in the last week.
Much like the other stuff I danced around, I intend to do the same here. I won’t tell you about the shocking scenes in the film, or the truly gut wrenching ending that causes a small part of your soul to curl up and die, never to be felt or heard from again. But trust me, stuff gets as terrible as you can imagine, and even far, far worse than that.
The guy hits creepy levels beyond what you have ever conceived.
Well, I need to to talk a little bit about the ending and moments leading up to the ending, actually.
What happens when the two bodies under the sheets are revealed, as well as the masked cohort, you will pretty much vomit all over yourself in between crying tears or pure blood. And then the madness that ensues after that takes things even FURTHER.
All I will say in watching this is what kind of parent would let their small child take the role asked of the young boy in this film?
Actually, why would ANY of these characters take these roles? Yes, the lead in the film is electrifying and intense, BUT, he also (censored for your own safety)until her body(censored) and then he (censored) on her (censored).
With A Serbian Film, you keep thinking it has raped your soul for the last time, and it rapes your soul again.
And again.
And finally, one last time.
This is the main character after finding out what he had done. This is me after watching this movie.
It is truly relentless. It takes any taboo you have and shoves it in your face and (censored) it to death in front of you.
And honestly, there is no turnaround here.
No happy ending or sweet resolution.
The ending of this film is as bleak and nihilistic as they come. And even after it ends, the “bad guys” sneak in and get the last laugh, even after you think they are all gone. And in that moment, the film takes itself even further, ending on a note so disgusting, if you are anything like me, you will need a puke bucket next to your couch when you watch it. No joke.
So why am I talking about this film if it is so messed up? Well, I watched it alone.
Alone.
My soul is still vomiting…
So not a good idea.
It really felt like it destroyed the last pure part of me, hidden down, way deep inside of me.
I was so utterly crushed and defeated in all ways by the time this movie ended, that when the credits began to roll, and I was trying to process what I had just seen, I really did feel nausea and vertigo.
I walked away from this movie feeling devastated and ruined, and all I kept thinking was: This movie could fully break someone who is brittle. Who is on the edge, This movie could be the demon that got just enough under someone’s skin that it could destroy them.
It could kill them.
Yes, this movie is THAT f*cked up.
On a quick side note, one of my favorite rappers, CAGE, made a song set to the closing credits music of A Serbian Film, simply called “I Saw A Serbian Film”. Supposedly he loves the film and thinks it should have won an Oscar. Click here to listen to the song. Truth is, we think he is just doing that whole “shocking” thing that he does so well to sell records, but who knows? Some people do love this stuff.
Some sick f*cking people.
The post The Most Soul Destroying Film I Never Should Have Watched: A Serbian Film appeared first on Remy Carreiro.