Grotesque (2009)
AKA: Gurotesuku
Year: 2009
Directed by: Koji Shiraishi
Starring: Shigeo Osako, Tsugumi Nagasawa, Hiroaki Kawatsure
Country: Japan, Asian Cinema
Language: Japanese (English subtitles)
Runtime: 01:13:10
Genres: Serial Killers, Gore-Gruesome-Splatter, Rape/Sexual Violence against Women, Torture, Captivity/Kidnapping, Medical
Plot – Spoilers:
There are three characters in this movie – A serial killer who appears to be a proficient doctor and surgeon and the couple whom he kidnaps.
Grotesque begins with the kidnapping of the couple and doesn’t waste too much time getting straight to the torture. The serial killer appears to be impotent and claims to get sexually satisfied by watching his victims, attempt to stay alive. This could well be a lie. It could be that having killed so many before (there is nothing to suggest the couple are one of his early experiments) he is bored of seeing his victims give up on living. The only thrill left for him is to give them a ray of hope of escape and watch them cling on to that as they endure the most unimaginable torture and pain. Having said that, the awkward dating scene between the couple in the cafe doesn’t leave you with much sympathy for them until the middle stages of the torture sessions where it gets brutal and you can’t help but feel sorry for their miserable situation.
It seems a bit unrealistic that the male victim would endure so much pain on the female victim’s behalf given that they had just started dating. But it could be that he has given up all hope of escape and feels like attaching a noble purpose to his last few living hours.
Favorite scenes:
The scene where the killer masturbates the couple one after the other. The sexual tension between them appears to have gotten heightened by the shit they’ve found themselves in, and both helplessly cum hard to the point of shame.
The scene where the killer snips off the girl’s nipples while her breasts tremble in fear is realistic and likely to affect.
Grotesque has one of the most ridiculous yet stunning sequences ever played out when the male victim has to endure the pain of his intestines spooling out while he staggers towards the girl. And then when he notices the metal wire and lets out a defeated gasp, it is cruelty and dark humour at their peaks.
