Indie
[Sundance ’15 Review] ‘Reversal’ A New Take On Rape/Revenge Horror
Reviewed by Fred Topel
Reversal – now known as Bound to Vengeance – kind of solved the whole conundrum of rape/revenge movies by skipping the rape entirely. Did no one think of this before? Although to be fair, doing that would have reduced Last House on the Left and I Spit on Your Grave to 45 minute movies, but the point being Reversal is not the exploitation version of this story. It’s got a clever take on the genre that moves it a little bit forward from the storied history of rape/revenge.
Eve (Tina Ivlev) is a happy girl with a loving boyfriend. Then she wakes up chained to a dank bedroom floor. Phil (Richard Tyson) comes down to feed her when she turns the tables and knocks him out with a brick. She breaks free but learns Phil has kidnapped other girls too, so she forces him to help her find and free them.
I do respect the grueling nature of earlier rape/revenge films but it is nice not to be subjected to the rape this time. Eve still was, so it’s just as terrible, but perhaps it is appropriate not to focus on that since the point of Eve’s story is more of a rescue mission than her own revenge.
Now, you can imagine these girls are in no condition to be escape when Eve finds them. Reversal explores the twisted psychology of victims. Some of the responses will bother you, and it’s probably valid. Nobody responds to trauma the exact same way.
Some of director Jose Manuel Cravioto’s techniques work better than others. A series of freeze frames works for the scene in which it’s featured. Intercutting found footage of Eve before her kidnapping feels very Cloverfield, even though it puts a twist on it.
It’s a solid introduction to Ivlev as a lead. She can certainly carry a movie, be tough and relatable. Tyson lingers on syllables so that everything he says sounds more creepy. The actresses playing the other victims are good too, each given a different psyche to portray, and illustrating the myriad impacts of brutal, sexual trauma.
Reversal succeeds at bringing new perspective to a tried and true genre. It remains just as satisfying to see Phil get beaten up and his world torn apart, but the real meat of Reversal lies within Eve’s encounters with each of Phil’s victims.
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Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.
The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:
“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.
“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.
“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.
“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”
Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.
To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.
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