User Reviews

Ate De Jong brings Mark Rogers' story of fetish, and horror to life in dark, visceral , sometimes uncomfortable intensity. Normally I pass on films that I consider torture porn, or at least I bail on the film once I get that impression. I am glad that I did not check out on "Deadly Virtues" because it is definitely a tight, methodical nightmare that pushes one to experience that taboo in the horror genre, the eroticism of sexual nightmares. Much like "Straw Dogs (the remake)", this movie goes into those areas and exploits those darker subjects.

"Deadly Virtues" doesn't completely nail it, there are moments that play out almost like cliché of the erotic horror subgenre. At times the energy falters, and certain moments that could have really pushed the horror over the edge are only mediocre. That being said, the characters are developed more than you usually see in these sorts of stories, the subtext is deep and dark, and the acting is captivating enough to cause you to built a very intense connection with the characters. Plus the ending is one that I didn't quite see coming, made me angry until the ending finally played out- an ending that is well worth setting through the sexual overture that runs through "Deadly Virtues", and that sense of discomfort in seeing some of the scenes play out.

Overall, "Deadly Virtues" is worth watching on so many levels. I enjoyed being pushed into less comfortable forays of "what is horror" and "what is erotic". Rogers story balances it nicely and De Jong brings it to scream wonderfully. The special effects are practical, even though they are limited and not a big focal point of the movie. The real focal point of "Deadly Virtues" comes from actually watching the film, experiencing this situation through the eyes of these tragic characters, and that ending. This is one of the better, more elevated torture-porn, exploitation, and modern cult films I have seen in a while.

The biggest weakness here is that the story doesn't seem to have much of a point. In one way, it's kind of a standard home invasion movie. It opens with a man entering a couple's home, tying the husband up and throwing him in the bathtub, and then torturing and humiliating him throughout the weekend that follows. As for the wife? Well, she gets tied up and there's some eroticism involved in his plans for her - a lot of touching, leading to fear and humiliation, but not much more. Really, the intruder's plan for the wife isn't made all that clear. Essentially, the intruder seems to want to play house with her, for lack of any better way of putting it. So, what was the point to this? Was there a point? I honestly finished this not being sure about the answer to either question.

Admittedly, the story has an uneasy attraction for the viewer. It's almost voyeuristic in a lot of uncomfortable ways. As the movie progresses we learn a lot about Alison and Tom (the unfortunate couple) but very little about Aaron - the intruder - until the last scene of the movie, which at least explains how he managed to break into their house, and shows him to be compulsive in his behaviour. Alison and Tom are revealed to be an unhappy couple with a lot of problems in their marriage. Aaron's motivation - aside from being one sick puppy - is never really made clear. (And maybe it's just that he is one sick puppy.)

It's not a bad movie. It actually succeeds in being a movie that both repels the viewer and attracts the viewer often at the same time. But it isn't a great movie, either. And if you can't handle a few scenes of torture (that are never particularly graphic, but that are nevertheless made very clear) then you should probably avoid this like the plague. (6/10)

Deadly Virtues: Love.Honour.Obey. With a title like that I should have see it coming. But nevertheless I still watched the movie. My bad though, because honestly there are tons of better movies then this one. It starts promising, where you have the feeling it might become a good thriller, but piece by piece as the story unfolds you realize you're going nowhere with this story. It's just an unrealistic and quite boring movie. The actors are not that bad, neither are they future Oscar winners, but with a story like that you can't just have a good movie. It's just impossible. I think they tries to create some sexual tension, but it's just a failure. The end is also a completely letdown. Too ridiculous for words in fact. I wished I didn't waste my time with this one.

Haneke would have a field day with this. He actually already had one - it's called Funny Games. Either the original version or the remake will do. And while this adds "eroticism" and bondage to the mix, it just never works. The movie is out to shock and tell a story about a bad man, trying to send mixed messages too. Shouldn't you obey if someone holds you hostage? Should go with the flow? All this could be interesting things to explore and if you're being nice to the movie, you sort of see them in this too.

Those are just a few of the things that could make this even more uneasy to watch! As if the torture and the general humiliation wasn't enough you might ask - the problem with that is that it just never actually makes a point in the end. Especially the ending which sort of alienates the viewer even more (Freedom can be different things and there are layers to that too, none of them explored here, not to mention the reveal and explaining it does with the very last seconds of its running time ... unnecessary)

This movie started off as a kind of standard home invasion kind of movie, but there are definitely twists and turns in it that are not standard. I do not want to spoil the movie, but I want to make it clear that there is no way in heck anyone could have predicted the ending of this movie, and the ending is a just one. So, do not shy away from it because there is some torture and elements of forced sexual contact in it. If you do, that will be a mistake. This is not your standard home invasion movie. Trust me on that. All of the characters in it are not what they seem. Oh, and the acting is good and the writing is excellent, in my opinion. Ignore the really bad reviews. They are so off the mark that I felt compelled to give this movie a 10 although it is probably more like an 8 or 9. Or, it may actually be a ten. I cannot think of any major flaws in it.

It's hard to watch Deadly Virtues. There's just so much terror. This is definitely a very good and very confident indie home invasion movie. The story knows what message it wishes to impart and how to get there. Only three main actors but they are exhilarating, the two victims displaying a multitude of horrified emotions. If you like horror then this is an easy hour and half that shouldn't disappoint.

I started watching this with the expectation of being creeped out and disgusted by one character and by the end of it my whole perception had changed. Definitely some very sexually and emotionally intense moments. Overall a really good watch.

They didn't waste a second of screen time with this movie - opens with the intruder breaking in and the horror begins. Never a dull moment, very suspenseful. There were a few parts I had to look away bc the torture felt very real. Overall, great acting and character development.

Not for everyone,planty of flaws hard to watch. But...Ending its so brilliant that it makes you re-watch movie right away. Two movies in one??Best movie I've seen in my life..

There a few missing pieces in the narrative, the special effects are just OK and some of the violence may be off putting. But the actors--particularly Ms. Maczko as the main female character--deliver a fine performance. The film, and the director, deserve credit for a story that will inevitably generate strong feelings with viewers--one that goes straight to the gut without making any apologies. There are a few moments when the tension dissipates temporarily, or the script could have used more refinement. Regardless, here we have a movie that will approach difficult issues as well as physical and psychological abuse with raw energy, while remaining more honest than most other films that attempt to do so. Plus, the choice of adding Shibari as the restraining method of choice of adds flair to a movie that might otherwise feel to some to just play on shock value alone.

The story is dull and doesn't make any sense. There is no suspense and characters make absolutely no sense

It's a long and drawn out film, with a "torture porn" feel to it, whilst trying not to look like a soft BDSM clip. Nothing in this movie is really interesting. The characters are boring, the villain is boring, the plot is also predictable. Free on Prime, because i wouldn't go out of my way to rent this film. Little is done with sets and scenery. It could have been filmed on an iPhone. Elements of Munchausen syndrome mixed with sadism, you would be better off finding something else to do with you 90 minutes. Seems to appeal to ppl into japanese bondage and stress positions. This film is a pass..

Boring bad ending bad acting bad story... It's not worth to watch.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It had me hooked from start to finish. The way she was tied up at the beginning of the film made us squirm but we were hooked. I'm not a fan of torture films but for some reason I had to watch this one after scrolling through with my husband. The acting was brilliant by all and it had a twist at the end. Compelling, daunting and harrowing.

Well worth watching. My husband enjoyed it too but I hope he doesn't get any ideas haha.

It was a low budget film I guess but it didn't matter as the acting was amazing and everyone involved in the making of the film gets did a fantastic job.

Movie starts out with a man entering the home with a key he apparently got from I'm guessing the woman and begins to torture her and him over the weekend in a real sadistic way and her husband ends up worse than the perpetrator.