Constantlyonthehuntandsufferingfromhallucinationsthatdrivehisviolentnature,anunnamedmaniscapturingwomenandsavagelybeatingthemtodeath.Meanwhile,awomanisluringmenintoaviolentend,bywayofherknife.Drivenbythesameforcetomaketheoppositesexsuffer,thekillers’fatesintertwine.Thetwomustfaceoffinabattletothedeath,inwhichtheyareforcedtorevealthehorribletruthbehindtheiraddictiontomurder.“Brutal”takesaninterestingapproachtoitsvisuals,drawingheavyinfluencefromWestern“Grindhouse”films,usingafiltertomakethefootageappeargrainy,damaged,andwithlightandcolorfluctuations.Unfortunately,thevisualstylingendsupfeelingmisguided,asotherthanapplyingthefilteritdoesnotimitateanyotheraspectsofthe“Grindhouse”genre.Despitetryingtodirtyupthefilm,itisapparentitwasshotondigital.Thecinematographyisalsoastepabovemost“Grindhouse”productions,withTakashiHiroseprovinghehastalentbehindthecamera.Exteriorshotstothosetakingplaceinsmallspacesareallcompetentlyframed,lit,andtransitionwell.Thedecisiontoaddaneffectontopoftheworkhurtsthefilm’simageryandevengivesasenseofdesperationtotrytocaptureacertaintypeofnostalgiawiththeaudience,insteadofrelyingonitsownstrengths.Itisunfortunatewhenonecreativechoicecanhurtaproductionsomuch.Thestoryof“Brutal”issimplebuteffective,itdoesattemptsomesortofsocialcommentaryabouttheviolentnatureofmenandwomen,butitdoesnotofferenoughdepthintothesubjecttojustifytheamountofviolenceondisplay.Thefilmdoesendonastrongnotewithaninterestingtwist,witharevealthatisboundtogrosssomeout,whilegivingothersachuckle.Inspiteofitssimplenature,thosewhoenjoyfilmsthatmakethemsomewhatuncomfortableandenjoythechallengeofgettingthroughsomeultra-violence,“Brutal”posesafunandentertainingchallengeinthatregard.
2024-08-05 08:18:33，最后更新于 3月前
