Constantly on the hunt and suffering from hallucinations that drive his violent nature, an unnamed man is capturing women and savagely beating them to death. Meanwhile, a woman is luring men into a violent end, by way of her knife. Driven by the same force to make the opposite sex suffer, the killers’ fates intertwine. The two must face off in a battle to the death, in which they are forced to reveal the horrible truth behind their addiction to murder. “Brutal” takes an interesting approach to its visuals, drawing heavy influence from Western “Grindhouse” films, using a filter to make the footage appear grainy, damaged, and with light and color fluctuations. Unfortunately, the visual styling ends up feeling misguided, as other than applying the filter it does not imitate any other aspects of the “Grindhouse” genre. Despite trying to dirty up the film, it is apparent it was shot on digital. The cinematography is also a step above most “Grindhouse” productions, with Takashi Hirose proving he has talent behind the camera. Exterior shots to those taking place in small spaces are all competently framed, lit, and transition well. The decision to add an effect on top of the work hurts the film’s imagery and even gives a sense of desperation to try to capture a certain type of nostalgia with the audience, instead of relying on its own strengths. It is unfortunate when one creative choice can hurt a production so much. The story of “Brutal” is simple but effective, it does attempt some sort of social commentary about the violent nature of men and women, but it does not offer enough depth into the subject to justify the amount of violence on display. The film does end on a strong note with an interesting twist, with a reveal that is bound to gross some out, while giving others a chuckle. In spite of its simple nature, those who enjoy films that make them somewhat uncomfortable and enjoy the challenge of getting through some ultra-violence, “Brutal” poses a fun and entertaining challenge in that regard.
二十世纪初叶,人类历史进入一个动荡不安的时代,曾经辉煌无两的大英帝国正从鼎盛走向衰落,国际局势波谲云诡,战争一触即发。在这重要的历史时刻,一个不合时宜的小生命出生在了英国皇室。他就是约翰王子(丹尼尔·威廉姆斯 Daniel Williams 饰),乔治五世(Tom Hollander 饰)与玛丽皇后(Miranda Richardson 饰)的儿子。约翰王子聪慧善良,相貌圆满,却因患有癫痫而被认为是低能儿,继而令王室成员感到羞耻。为避免蒙羞,皇室将约翰和保姆拉拉(Gina McKee 饰)送到乡下修养。远离了都市的喧嚣和宫廷的繁文缛节,约翰似乎找寻到真正的自由和快乐,他在此静静地渡过了最后的时光……