You kind of know what to expect when it comes to a Tom Botchii film – brutality.
I had the pleasure of seeing his previous effort, the bone crunching Artik at Grimmfest in 2019, and now he’s back with Syphon.
Here we have a revenge thriller with a twist, as a man, whose life was ruined by a hacker, hunt him down for retribution.
We have the usual brutality and blood you would expect from a Botchii film but he has also added some strings to his bow with some creative set pieces – including a stand-out knock-down-drag-out-affair in the middle of a car wash.
There is also the creative use of barb wire, that feels like it wouldn’t look out of place in an extreme rules wrestling bout.
Syphon also has incredible sound design, so you feel every gun shot, broken bone or other injury these two inflict on each other.
The director also gets up close and personal, often relying on focus shots, that really get you to feel the blood and snot this battle is inflicting.
Syphon is a bit more adept than your standard revenge thriller though, adding a few twists and turns that could catch you off guard.
Botchii is a necessary voice in the genre, with plenty to say, and plenty of blood to spill.
Syphon screened as part of Grimmfest 2025.
Bloody Flicks 