Blu-ray Review: I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2 (2013)

 
I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2
Directed by Steven R. Monroe
Distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment

  If you remember back in 2010, a remake to the original 1978 classic I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE was released.  The film got a lot of press at the time, with a lot of people very upset they would try to remake such a classic exploitation film.   I love the original, and while the remake was not as good as the original, I thought it was a great good film and very well made.  Well, it's 2013 and now a sequel to the remake is out.  I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2  was recently released to DVD and Blu-ray and I honestly don't remember hearing much about this film at all until hearing it was coming out.  This surprises me because after watching ISOYG2 the other night, I left the film with 2 thoughts.  The first was that the film was brutal, and  brutally realistic.  The filmmakers captured the gloom and despair the main character went through perfectly.  The other thought that this sequel is far superior to the original 2010 remake in every aspect.   Before I go any further, here is the basic plot of ISOYG2 from the Anchor Bay website:

  I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2 stars beautiful newcomer Jemma Dallender (Community, “Hollyoaks”) as Katie, a beautiful girl on her own in NY, who is trying to make it in the cutthroat world of modeling. When Katie innocently accepts an offer to have new photos taken for her portfolio, the experience quickly turns into an unthinkable nightmare – Severely beaten, battered, bruised, and broken, she will have to tap into the darkest places of the human psyche to not only survive her ordeal, but to ultimately find the strength to exact her brutal revenge.  The film co-stars Joe Absolom (Extreme Ops, Long Time Dead) and Alexander Aleksiev (the upcoming Jack Ryan).  The film was directed by Steven R. Monroe, the director of the critically acclaimed 2010 film and written by Neil Elman (I Spit On Your Grave) and Thomas Fenton (Saw IV)

  This was an amazing film, and one I am surprised has not been talked about more among horror fans.  In fact, this is one of the best horror films I have seen in long time.   As I stated before, I really liked the 2010 remake, but this sequel surpassed it in every way in my opinion.   While the first film was good, I felt it the story and plot were just basic, more of just something that had to be there in the background, while the true meaning of the film was to show the torture and gore once the main character starts to take revenge on her captors.  The torture scenes and gore were very impressive in that 2010 remake, but there just wasn't much substance to the story.  

  ISOYG2 on the other hand, has a wonderful story and a deeper plot than the first remake. I felt like this was a much better film overall, with a better plot/story, and even some great plot twists. The acting in this film is amazing, especially on the part of actress Jemma Dallender, who played the main character of Katie.  She is a wonderful actress and nailed all the range of emotions she was portraying in the film.  Her character is raped and beaten nearly to death, and you really felt like what was happening to her was real.  I couldn't help but wonder if the filmmakers didn't tell her what some of her scenes were going to be, and wondering if some scenes like where she was tied up and left alone in a room were actually her real reactions.  She screamed and looked terrified, playing the part of the victim perfectly.  

  I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2 is available now on DVD and Blu-ray from Anchor Bay Entertainment.  The only special features are some Deleted Scenes.  I was really hoping for a "Making Of" documentary on this one, as I would have loved to have seen how they did some of the gore and torture scenes, as well as get some insight on how the actors prepared for these roles that demanded such strong emotional performances.

  This is a must see film in my opinion.  If you have seen it, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of the film.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray/DVD combo