Leofwine_draca
THE UNFORGIVING is a cheap, digital torture porn indie flick from South Africa. Half of it is shot in extreme close up with lots of motion blur designed to give any right-minded viewer a headache. Another nail in the coffin is the rubbish editing that takes place throughout. The police procedural plotting feels like mere padding while the rest is nothing more than a lame-o SAW copy.
stuartterrell26
I'm not sure what movie other reviewers were watching here...ten star reviews?????? crazy or what?????? this was just rubbish! If this is ten stars then what do you give great movies like saw or hostel? I tried to stay interested but I was bored...very bored...I did like saw...7 or 8 stars easy...and I love films that follow suit...so what if its already been done...long as its good then why not...but this just ain't...the camera just wants to give me a headache! I mean zoom out for fu@ks sake! I couldn't see anything! It just felt like it was one scene all the way through...a nice bit of blood...but no more so than that...I simply could not recommend this...sorry...Maybe i'm missing something here with this one...mmmmmmmmm...but i don't think so...could have been a good film...just ain't...
Claire White
I don't know what I was expecting when I watched this for the first time. Do not expect a slasher/bloody/gory/saw type of film. It is more avant garde than anything else, and a lot of people aren't going to understand it - but isn't that the thing with violence? It's never clear cut is it? The movie uses a very strange way of telling the story, I don't want to give too much away, but it deals with flashbacks and flashforwards in the same time line. I've heard the film cost R40K to make, that is 1/3 of paranormal activity - so the film is rough around the edges, it's far from polished. The acting is good, Michael Thompson (The Detective) is great throughout.I have noticed that this film has some International Distribution which is great for a little film like this.Some people are going to hate this film, but the filmmakers haven't gone out to change the world or prove a point, they've just made a little film that is very interesting to watch, and if you view it under those terms, you are in for a treat.
Andrew Griffiths
The first half an hour of the film feels like a SAW rip off, but the film shoots off in a very different and exciting direction in the second act. The film uses a very novel way of telling the victims' stories, and this keeps you engaged as it builds to a bloody climax. The film uses the idea that the audience thinks they are watching a SAW or HOSTEL and flips those expectations on its head.The film is inspiring to see what you can get away with on a very limited budget, and I'm not talking about Hollywood limited budget, I'm talking about bare knuckle, no budget filmmaking.The film won't win any Oscars, but I am interested to see what these guys can do given even a B Grade straight to DVD American Budget.The cinematography is very original and the editing is outstanding. The script could be a little more original but the actors cover the flaws in the script with decent performances.
AD
