For the Sake of Vicious  ★★★

I’VE seen some bloody movies in my time but For the Sake of Vicious may take the cake.

This Canadian horror/drama from 2021 really piles on the violence during its second half and, as the title suggests, in an unabashedly exploitative way.

It’s one of those low-budget films that succeeds due to the intensity and commitment of everyone behind and in-front of the camera; this could be their only shot at getting noticed by Hollywood and they’re going to go for it with everything they’ve got.

Even though it has nothing original to say, I think it still succeeds thanks to the writing/director team of Gabriel Carrer and Reese Eveneshen and the central performances by Lora Burke and Nick Smyth who get better as the film progresses.

Burke plays Romina, a hospital nurse who arrives home to find a kidnapper with his victim tied to a chair in the kitchen. Chris (Smyth) initially comes across as a crazed lunatic but we slowly learn he is seeking revenge and there are reasons why Romina’s home has been chosen.

Some of the links are a little too forced, but the plot really ceases to matter anyway for the second half when Chris unleashes sustained torture of his target before Chris and Romina are forced to join forces to fight off a bunch of relentless intruders sent to rescues the man.

The gloves are well and truly off as all manner of weapons are used and blood flows, pumps, sprays and splatters during intense, close-quarters action.

For a straight-forward, low-budget exploitation film this really delivers.