La Petite Mort (2009)


REVIEWER RATING: 
6/10

DIRECTOR:


Inspired, based on or related to “a true story” as the opening history sequence plays out, is basically irrelevant. La Petite Mort (2009) is a simple torture-porn flick with stolen goods from Hostel. That’s not to say it’s unentertaining and completely horrifying in nature. It’s an uneasy feeling to sit and watch innocent people being mutilated for the pleasure of others and walk away thinking “that was wonderful!”  

With that said and out of the way, La Petite Mort allows us to tag along with 3 visitors on route to Italy who decide to explore Frankfurt during a stopover. While Simon and his blind girlfriend Nina (Pape and Zahmoul) are recorded by best friend Dodo (Habeck), they venture out to museums, shopping, local transit rides and end up in a quaint town, surrounded by stillness. After a brief encounter with a potential robber, Simon leads the women into a shady bar where it’s clear they do NOT belong.  

And just like that, the tourists are confronted and captured by a small group of “fetish freaks” where the real fun begins.  

For those who appreciate Eli Roth’s Hostel, the slow burn opening (ok, it’s more like the first hour! LOL) sets the stage and character development of 3 young men traveling through Slovakia and become the victims of a cruel underground cult, where exclusive members pay to torture their chosen victims. La Petite Mort functions a little differently.

Controlled by the vicious Maman (Manoush), each of the guests are placed in his/her own chamber of brutality, ready to be inflicted with the most gruesome and sadistic methods of pain. It’s nothing short of maliciousness to the next level of atrociousness. Quite a disturbing display, but tough to look away at the same time. Maman and her girls want to keep your eyes occupied with the graphic images of mutilation as much as the taunting and mocking declarations intrigue the viewer. All the while, a disfigured wealthy man sits in giddiness at watching his wishes of bloody destruction elevate his pleasure center.

It’s sick, it’s twisted and it’s nothing new. But it’s worth a watch if you enjoy a decent gorefest from screaming millennials!

OVERALL: 
La Petite Mort translates to “a state or event resembling or prefiguring death; a weakening or loss of consciousness, specifically in sleep or during an orgasm” which explains the inclination of desire sparked upon the carnage of innocents. It’s nasty and freakishly unrelatable, but in the end it boils down to basic logic: Wrong place, wrong time. 


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