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Reviews
Victims (2013)
Refreshing take on the home invasion movies
There is a good reason why Victims won the Best Low-budget feature at the Toronto Independent Film Festival: it is a stunningly shot and engaging movie. Not necessarily a stereotypical horror flick-and, despite its fair share of blood, definitely not your average run-of-the-mill slasher-Victims is quite a refreshing take on the revenge movies we've all seen way too many times.
Oddly enough, Victims doesn't seem like a low-budget movie. Sure, the cast numbers only nine actors, but the director knew what he was doing every step of the way. From the innovative flashbacks, slow and in the sepia tone that almost feel warm despite the horror that struck, to the emotional, disturbing, and gut-wrenching acting, this movie will keep you on the edge from start to finish.
The take on the home invasion trope is novel, since our "victims" got to turn the table and write their own narrative. From the get-go, we're unapologetically plunged deep into a disturbing, yet captivating story of a couple fighting both their own demons and the two invaders who have become their captives. The couple, portrayed by Katherine Isabelle (Hannibal, Supernatural) as Lindsay and Christian Campbell (True Detective, Supernatural, CSI: Miami) as Spencer, seem like your generic good guys forced to perform questionable acts, until you find yourself feeling pity towards their own attackers. The question that is raised almost immediately is whether Spencer is actually your "good guy" at all. When he murders Gatling (Julian Richings) in an admittedly gimmicky way and tortures Riley (Sebastian Pigott), Lindsay turns against him in a stunning subversion of the Stockholm Syndrome plot. The slow descend of our protagonist into madness on the path to freedom is a joy to see.
Throughout the movie, the title also looms over the viewers, forcing us to choose sides, to rethink the entire concept of victimhood. The layers keep unravelling excruciatingly slowly, and therein lies the greatest asset this movie brings: it captures you and doesn't let go. From one plot twist to another, the need to understand the dénouement keeps us on pins and needles.
And even after everything has been said and done, after the end scene, the question remains: who are the real victims?