Director:

Coralie Fargeat

Writer:

Coralie Fargeat

Stars:

Kevin Janssens, Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Avant Strangel

REVENGE borrows from many classic films like MAD MAX, THE HUNTING PARTY and female stalker movies to provide another gore fest in which victim becomes hunter with a few more tricks on display. This is Carolie Fargeat’s debut feature and an impressive one at that.

A rich businessman, Steve takes his mistress )Italian model Matilda Lutz) on a getaway in a gorgeous mansion by a desert. His two hunting friends show up and abuse her while he goes off for two hours. Instead of being on her side, Steve takes his friends side. When she threatens to tell his wife, Steve’s pushes her off a cliff. She survives. They hunt her down while she, turns the table on them.

The film is the real BATTLE OF THE SEXES, not the one with the same title centred on tennis, also at this year’s TIFF. A few gory set-ups include one where a man extracts chards of glass from the base of his foot and another with her tending to her wounds with the metal of a red hot beer can.

The climatic scene is full of inventive cat-and house chasing complete with Steve applying Saran wrap around his wounds. REVENGE is perfect Midnight Madness fare and had the theatre howling during the screening.