Compulsion (2016) Horror Movie Review
Written By: FR
Edited By: Grave Reviews Staff
Film Information
Director: Craig Goodwill
Writer: Brian Clark
Producer: Simon Fawcett , Julie Kroll, Luca Legnani, Lawrence Mortorff
Date Released: November 19, 2016
Cast
Analeigh Tipton as Sadie
Marta Gastini as Francesca
Jakob Cedergren as Alex (as Jacob Cedergren)
Valentin Merlet as Thierry
Jan Bijvoet as Minos
Magdalena Grochowska as Silvia
Anita Kravos as Thelma
Nina Senicar as Lily
Rating = 1.5/5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
When an erotic novelist named Sadie is convinced by her ex-partner to stay at an Italian town house along with a misunderstood woman named Francesca, she is confronted with the demons of her past. As Sadie continues to stay at the town house, she is consumed into a bizarre game of murder and betrayal. But what Sadie doesn’t realize is that her ex-partner has plans to make her the main event in a gathering by cult members.
Gore Factor
The film does not have a lot of gore but a few blood splatter here and there. The whole film is disturbing in itself in terms of sexual context. There are a few scenes of throat being slit with lots of blood. But with the backstory very confusing the bloody scenes do not seem unraveling.
The Grave Review
Compulsion (2016) is a very peculiar weird movie. Right of the bat, this will remind audience of Eyes Wide Shut and Fifty Shades of Grey. Lots of strange characters and scenes, lots of dream sequences, lots of sex, lots of empty dialogue. A few cheesy scares here and there and some peculiar but nice visual imagery. I’ll give that to the movie, the sets look beautiful, the castle is gorgeous and the visuals in some scenes are odd yet mesmerizing. Like the realm of Eyes Wide Shut, the movie is a bit too experimental for its own good however; it is hard to take the story seriously when the entire movie seems to want to be doing is look artistic and surreal. It also seems to take a few hints from Fifty Shade of Grey, but in a gothic-horror setting. The sex and violence are the same old same old, but with the liberal addition of overt horror elements and far less symbolically charged subtext.
Acting is mediocre. Alex (Jakob Cedergren) who played a cold ex-lover seems subdued and lacks intensity in his role as a cult leader. Sadie (Analeigh Tipton) as the erotic novelist is often left hanging out there, naked and haggard-looking, in a really ugly and exploitative way. Francesca (Marta Gastini), who plays as a Holly Golightly from Hell, an erotic dancer, has a little better lighter role that fits her to a tee. However, Minos (Jan Bijvoet) does right by the horror tradition with his scenery-chewing turn as the cadaverous butler.
Overall, Compulsion (2016) is a very bizarre film but very well compensated by the fine visuals. The film has an unclear plot but the stunning backdrops often serve as a welcome distraction. If you want something to help you fall asleep, this is the movie that will give you that much needed stimuli.
For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives Compulsion (2016) one and half graves out of five graves.
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Where is this shot. The scenery is profound .