I Spit on Your Grave 2 (2013)
Serena Whitney
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Starring Jemma Dallender, Joe Absolom, Yavor Baharov
Directed by Steven R. Monroe
In 2010 director Steven R. Monroe took on the grueling task of directing the inevitable remake of I Spit on Your Grave, one of the most controversial and infamous rape revenge films in cinematic history. Much like The Last House on the Left reboot, Monroe’s fresh take on the reimagining of Meir Zarchi’s 1978 classic was surprisingly well received due to its solid acting, torture devices and a contemporary glossy sheen that, although considered detrimental in other horror remakes, made the rape scenes in the film far less gratuitous for the sake of today’s modern viewers.
Unfortunately, as a result of the remake’s mild success, a distasteful attempt at a cash grab has aimed to unexpectedly turn I Spit on Your Grave into a sick and twisted film franchise, and the 2013 sequel will make horror fans grimace, queasy and disturbed, for all the wrong reasons.
Unrelated to the prior events of the first film, I Spit on Your Grave 2 introduces us to our new predestined rape victim/protagonist Katie (Dallender), a broke and struggling wannabe model in New York looking for a big break. In dire need of a portfolio, Katie throws common sense out the window by answering an advertisement that offers a free photo session for aspiring models. As one would expect, the shoot run by three shady Bulgarian men is not legitimate, and when Katie discovers that Ivan (Absolom) the photographer is simply running a scam to get women to pose for nude photos to sell on the Internet, she books out of there like a bat out of hell.
Later that night, however, Katie is paid an unwelcome visit by Ivan’s slow and seemingly unintimidating brother, Georgy (Baharov), who ends up stabbing her heroic neighbor and brutally raping her in front of his dying eyes. Katie is then drugged and kidnapped and inexplicably ends up in Bulgaria, where for the next two thirds of film she is chained, beaten, raped, urinated on, sexually assaulted with an electric rod and buried alive, only to escape in the film’s pitiful last act to take vengeance on her kidnappers.
For film reviewers I Spit on Your Grave 2 proves to be a white-knuckled ride, not because it is particularly terrifying to watch, but merely because unlike level-headed viewers who will have enough sense to turn the movie off, critics will not be afforded this luxury and will have to endure this inferior sequel, which conveys a level of vulgarity and insolence that is extremely difficult to sit through.
Although the initial premise is frightening and the film is competently shot, I Spit on Your Grave 2 pales in comparison to the original remake. In spite of the fact that the 2010 film featured outlandish and implausible set pieces, it was engaging enough to provide a certain level of suspension of disbelief to the mix. Regrettably, the far-fetched acts of revenge in the sequel seem silly and extremely outdated in a post-torture porn era and do not provide any rewarding payoff for having to witness the numerous and rage-inducing assaults that drag on far too long in the first hour of the film.
As far as unnecessary horror sequels go, I Spit on Your Grave 2 is definitely a contender for the top spot. Do not let morbid curiosity consume you with this one. If so, it may leave you wanting to take a long, hot shower and feeling the need to console the parents of the actors involved afterward.
2 out of 5
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