A Serbian Film

Break out your censor bars and cover your children’s heads with potato sack because A Serbian Film is emerging! The film, featuring Srdjan Todorovic in a haunting role as a lower class retired porn star, has gained a ton of controversy since its release in 2010. The movie had to be cut a couple of times and was banned from film festivals as well as a few countries all together. I found the uncut version.

So what’s the big deal about this movie? Well, the gratuitous amounts of sex and violence are enough to push any squirmish human being over the edge. Luckily for me, I was desensitized long ago! So to be honest I was not very impressed with the “shocking” reveals and sadistic visuals at the tail end of the film.

But let’s back up to the first act of the movie. This is certainly where the best acting can be witnessed and the story is actually a story. I found the creepiness at its peak when the main character Milos starts shooting the first couple scenes of his new X-rated flick. He has no idea what his is getting into and neither does the viewer. All he is told to do by the director is to do what he does best- screw. After being promised a grand compensation, Milos reluctantly signs the contract. He arrives on set at a closed children’s psych ward for the first shoot with armed bodyguards as cameramen. Something about the unknown direction left me on the edge of my seat. I was curious to see how A Serbian Film’s tone was going to be set through the initial filming process.

However, shortly after that point the movie turns into a senseless bloodbath and the story kind of falls apart. It appears that the makers of A Serbian Film needed an excuse to release their dark fantasies into an “artistic film”, which is similar to what the fictional director Vukmir was trying to do. After watching The Human Centipede it is clear that some directors just want to go,”Hey, look! My work is so disgusting and repulsive! I want everyone to talk about it!” I’m sorry, but that whole mindset isn’t going to win you any respect points with me. Now if you make a movie that keeps me on the edge of my seat the whole time and chills me to the bone (while you throw some bodies being mutilated in for good measure) then I will be more than happy to recommend your film!

There are a lot of things the movie did right. Throughout the feature there were subtle jokes and dark comedic goodies even in the most depraved scenes. I literally laughed out loud at one point! I also felt for and cared about the characters (even the bad ones) up until the very end. The whole movie builds up a great sense of morality and innocence and then topples it down and rubs it in your face. If you’re really a sick fuck you’ll enjoy the solid amount of blood covered boobies and the occasional erect wingwang. This movie truly defines itself as X-rated.

I would tell only the sturdiest of stomached horror fans to watch this, but I hope next time around the director isn’t trying to one-up other shock films. Todorovic is a great actor and I wish him luck with his future projects. The quality of the gore effects was legendary and the director Srdjan Spasojevic has the potential to craft a great story. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a good enough effort. That’s why I am giving A Serbian Film 3 unnaturally large wingwangs out of 5.

♂♂♂