A Serbian Film

A Serbian Film
Directed by Srđan Spasojević
Serbia, 2010

PLOT

Milos is a former porn star who retired from the scene a long time ago and now leads a peaceful life with his family. However, recently he has been facing financial difficulties, and after being contacted by a former colleague, he decides to accept a role in a mysterious film for which he is offered a large sum of money. What appears to be an opportunity for him and his family quickly turns into a never-ending nightmare.

CONSIDERATIONS

The directorial debut of Srđan Spasojević, *A Serbian Film* has been banned in several countries, subjected to censorship, and boycotted in its distribution. The Serbian government even launched an investigation against the film and its director. Yet, none of this prevented the film’s escalation in notoriety—if anything, it contributed to its success with the public, turning it into a phenomenon in the realm of extreme horror.
The ferocious mix of pornography and torture serves as the foundation of the film, partially masking a thin and simple script.
What is definitely not simple is the visual tolerance threshold: the brutality of the murders, extreme sexual acts, and psychological violence are, at times, highly disturbing.

We see our protagonist, driven by the noble act of saving and helping his family, carry out actions under the control of mysterious individuals who hold him captive through excessive and shocking measures.
All of this, however controversial, makes the film credible, teetering between a snuff movie and torture porn, while still conveying a subtle but ever-present critique of Serbian society and culture.

The direction is excellent, as is the soundtrack, which punctuates the moments of high impact.

PANDEMONIC MOMENT

The entire film is a concentration of violence, murder, and torture, with peaks of necrophilia and pedophilia that make it one of the most extreme films ever distributed. The ending, which we won’t spoil, is one that won’t be easily forgotten.
Click here to watch our tribute video to extreme horror.