A shocking and thought provoking film, Senseless is a low budget thriller from the talented, Bafta award winning, Scottish director Simon Hynd and starring American TV star Jason Behr.
A moral maze, the film tells the story of Elliot Gaast, an American executive of dubious ethical standards who is captured by a mysterious group and tortured live on the internet with the systematic removal of his 5 senses.
A clever, subtle script works both as a straightforward and gruesome body horror film and a driven, satirical stab at American globalisation and consumer culture.
Reality TV is also a target, with the sporadic use of Big Brother-esquire CCTV footage to underpin the implication that maybe these events aren't so far removed from our current reality or future. At a time when middle eastern terrorists are using video footage to show bombings and be-headings, the film seems remarkably current and prescient.
Never an easy watch, the torture scenes themselves are disturbing and unpleasant but help to reinforce the mood, tone and structure of the piece. You will almost certainly struggle to look at a cheese grater in the same way again. Jason Bher, who belies his status as a former teenage TV sex symbol throughout, is particularly effective in these scenes and gives his character a humanity and empathy that the audience can cling to in the more grizzly moments.
A serious and interesting film, Senseless demands attention and rewards it with a challenging and contemplative look at our troubled society.
**A point of warning to anyone watching the German DVD version of this film - it is a total mess, cut to shreds by the distribution company to avoid a costly censorship battle. My advice is to skip this version entirely as it makes no sense.**
A moral maze, the film tells the story of Elliot Gaast, an American executive of dubious ethical standards who is captured by a mysterious group and tortured live on the internet with the systematic removal of his 5 senses.
A clever, subtle script works both as a straightforward and gruesome body horror film and a driven, satirical stab at American globalisation and consumer culture.
Reality TV is also a target, with the sporadic use of Big Brother-esquire CCTV footage to underpin the implication that maybe these events aren't so far removed from our current reality or future. At a time when middle eastern terrorists are using video footage to show bombings and be-headings, the film seems remarkably current and prescient.
Never an easy watch, the torture scenes themselves are disturbing and unpleasant but help to reinforce the mood, tone and structure of the piece. You will almost certainly struggle to look at a cheese grater in the same way again. Jason Bher, who belies his status as a former teenage TV sex symbol throughout, is particularly effective in these scenes and gives his character a humanity and empathy that the audience can cling to in the more grizzly moments.
A serious and interesting film, Senseless demands attention and rewards it with a challenging and contemplative look at our troubled society.
**A point of warning to anyone watching the German DVD version of this film - it is a total mess, cut to shreds by the distribution company to avoid a costly censorship battle. My advice is to skip this version entirely as it makes no sense.**