This low budget but high voltage Brit thriller contains unflinching depictions of strong sex and brutal, bloody violence. Naturally, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
When three Leeds girls, holidaying in Mallorca, decide to accompany a bunch of amiable young men to their posh yacht they happily join in with the recreational drug use and group-sex that generally occurs when seven bright young things drift out to sea on a floating bachelor pad. But they become less enthusiastic when one of the young men tries out an aberrant sex technique (the ‘Donkey Punch’), resulting in a girl’s death. From this point onwards, the violence ensues.
This may sound like a sordid excuse for full-on sex, nudity and gore, and to some extent it is, but any flesh exposure and flesh ripping (as both occur in equal measure) is for the sake of the plot rather than gratuitous titillation or sadism. Director Oliver Blackburn magnificently conjures up high-octane atmosphere that becomes both infectious and mesmerising.
Considering the production constraints with just an estimated £1 million budget, this undeniably risky but ultimately excellent British horror impresses beyond expectation.
Donkey Punch (2008), directed by Oliver Blackburn, is distributed by Optimum Releasing, and is available to buy on Blu-ray disc and DVD, Certificate 18. Prospective viewers are warned that the film contains scenes some people may find disturbing.
