Constantly on the hunt and suffering from hallucinations that drive his violent nature, an unnamed man is capturing women and savagely beating them to death. Meanwhile, a woman is luring men into a violent end, by way of her knife. Driven by the same force to make the opposite sex suffer, the killers’ fates intertwine. The two must face off in a battle to the death, in which they are forced to reveal the horrible truth behind their addiction to murder.
“Brutal” takes an interesting approach to its visuals, drawing heavy influence from Western “Grindhouse” films, using a filter to make the footage appear grainy, damaged, and with light and color fluctuations. Unfortunately, the visual styling ends up feeling misguided, as other than applying the filter it does not imitate any other aspects of the “Grindhouse” genre. Despite trying to dirty up the film, it is apparent it was shot on digital. The cinematography is also a step above most “Grindhouse” productions, with Takashi Hirose proving he has talent behind the camera. Exterior shots to those taking place in small spaces are all competently framed, lit, and transition well. The decision to add an effect on top of the work hurts the film’s imagery and even gives a sense of desperation to try to capture a certain type of nostalgia with the audience, instead of relying on its own strengths. It is unfortunate when one creative choice can hurt a production so much.
The story of “Brutal” is simple but effective, it does attempt some sort of social commentary about the violent nature of men and women, but it does not offer enough depth into the subject to justify the amount of violence on display. The film does end on a strong note with an interesting twist, with a reveal that is bound to gross some out, while giving others a chuckle. In spite of its simple nature, those who enjoy films that make them somewhat uncomfortable and enjoy the challenge of getting through some ultra-violence, “Brutal” poses a fun and entertaining challenge in that regard.
Arkham, 1975: Jonathan Davis' father has disappeared. His tracks lead to Germany, to the Swabian-Franconian Forest where he was stationed after the Second World War. Jonathan sets out to find him and bring him home, but deep in the woods he discovers a dark mystery from the past. Based on H.P. Lovecraft's short novel "The Colour Out of Space".
brutashell review - 'Filmed in black and white and primarily spoken in German, it is obvious that Die Farbe did not have a huge budget to work with. Effects are minimal and the cast is utterly unknown. I should point out that these are all good things, and work very much in the film's favour. There is no CGI to rely on, no name actors to carry it. Rather, the filmmakers do the unthinkable: they create a genuine atmosphere of unimaginable dread and unspeakable horror, using shadow, suggestion and rare splashes of that Nameless colour in a few select frames. In short, they did a damn good job. Die Farbe is subtle in its mounting horror, nurturing a dark dread deep in your bowels with every shot. All of the best and most stomach-turningly distressing films I’ve ever seen have come out of Germany: M, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, The White Ribbon, and now this one. Leave it to the Germans. We know how to gross you out on the deepest psychological levels.
Lovecraft worshippers and devotees of German Expressionism alike, take heed: seek out and view this film at your earliest possible convenience. It’s a dark, noisome little gem that will squirm into your subconscious and lay its eggs in your sanity. Hey, not everyone gets the honour of being a host organism for the Elder Gods, you know.'
