Knowing that this is a Hong Kong Cat III film with a title like THE RAPIST, you should pretty much know what you're getting into. This isn't going to be "high-art" or "thought-provoking drama"...it's gonna be pretty much all-out sleaze - and on that front, THE RAPIST delivers pretty well.
The story (which like many Cat III films is supposedly based on true events...) follows a team of inept cops in their attempts to catch a serial rapist. You see the progression of the rapist's crimes and the exasperated cop's failed attempts to set "traps" to catch the criminal. Eventually the rapist slips up when he falls for one of his victims, and this is what leads to his apprehension. At this point, the audience is clued in to the rapist's motives and motivations as he talks to one of the lead officers about his crimes...
THE RAPIST is a pretty good example of typical Cat III sleaze. Plenty of gritty, protracted rape and violence scenes (including a particularly repulsive one concerning a 50 year old woman...) without crossing over into porn. Decent acting with a notable lack of comedic elements that many Cat III films are known for - and that actually gives this film an extra "edge" that it wouldn't have had, had the filmmakers tried to add jokes into the "serious" action. There's nothing particularly notable about THE RAPIST, and it does tend to drag at points, but it is decent enough that I would recommend it to any serious HK Cat III fan. Not for the casual viewer (although I assume most casual viewers wouldn't even bother with a film titled THE RAPIST anyway...) though not nearly as strong as such classics as THE UNTOLD STORY, RED TO KILL, or THE EBOLA SYNDROME...but still worth a look to the genre fan. 7/10
The story (which like many Cat III films is supposedly based on true events...) follows a team of inept cops in their attempts to catch a serial rapist. You see the progression of the rapist's crimes and the exasperated cop's failed attempts to set "traps" to catch the criminal. Eventually the rapist slips up when he falls for one of his victims, and this is what leads to his apprehension. At this point, the audience is clued in to the rapist's motives and motivations as he talks to one of the lead officers about his crimes...
THE RAPIST is a pretty good example of typical Cat III sleaze. Plenty of gritty, protracted rape and violence scenes (including a particularly repulsive one concerning a 50 year old woman...) without crossing over into porn. Decent acting with a notable lack of comedic elements that many Cat III films are known for - and that actually gives this film an extra "edge" that it wouldn't have had, had the filmmakers tried to add jokes into the "serious" action. There's nothing particularly notable about THE RAPIST, and it does tend to drag at points, but it is decent enough that I would recommend it to any serious HK Cat III fan. Not for the casual viewer (although I assume most casual viewers wouldn't even bother with a film titled THE RAPIST anyway...) though not nearly as strong as such classics as THE UNTOLD STORY, RED TO KILL, or THE EBOLA SYNDROME...but still worth a look to the genre fan. 7/10