Sometimes a film really lives up to its title.
This is definitely the case for the gritty and unflinching Beaten To Death by director Sam Curtain. His filmography previously includes film such as Blood Hunt and The Slaughterhouse Killer, so perhaps Beaten to Death is the perfect next step for him.
Set in rural Australia, we open with a man literally having seven shades knocked out of him, by a large hulk of a man; why remains quite unclear at this stage.
Admittedly, for the first 30 minutes or so, Beaten To Death is an endurance test of how much violence can be inflicted, primarily on a person’s face whilst still being able to breathe.
Jack, just can’t catch a break and even when he thinks he has escaped one monster, he charges straight into the path of another. Thomas Roach’s performance as Jack is quite something, as he comes to terms with his situation, goes a bit mad but also tries to fight to stay alive. Roach is covered in mud, blood and his spit and vomit; giving the film his all.
I think the pinnacle of his despair is reached when he is asked to dig his own grave, which is its own kind of sick mental exercise.
The practical effects and cinematography on display here on really top draw and the blood, sweat and dirt start to congeal across Jack as he aims to find a way out of this mess. Curtain does throw in some really stunning shots too, really capturing the man vs. nature vibe, that Beaten to Death occasionally employs.
He alludes to a mistake he made to get him and his partner into this mess, but Curtain carefully unpeels the onion and you as the audience get to decide if the punishment fits the crime.
You won’t see a more brutal film than Beaten To Death this year.
Bloody Flicks 