As much as this was not well received by many critics I felt it made a rather unfortunate but significant statement.

   As much as the movie is termed a thriller I experienced it as a horror movie and it scared me to no end…this from a woman who is considered to be the very subject of horror movies! The soundtrack is particularly interesting. The fashion is impeccable; the set designs are minimalist but striking, providing a lack of distraction that I appreciated. The characters executed their roles without breaking noticeably. A sequel is rumored to be in the works but frankly, I'm not sure if I could take it. The title alone should have warned the faint hearted not to watch but of course there is that morbid curiosity thang that just takes hold of people and won't let go.

   One would think that the gleeful butchering and blood is the hurdle to get over in this movie, but after one has had a bit of time to absorb what was presented - one realizes it is actually the element of the movie's jaded truth that is so hard to take. The critic's were unrelenting in their negative reviews - perhaps it was simply their reluctance to endorse this mirror of Western behaviorism because it forces them to look deeper at their culture and acknowledge that patriotic pride cannot hide the unmentionable shabby realities which are thriving in our everyday North American society.

   The subject of the story is Patrick, an All-American stereotype. Obsessed with: his position on Wall Street, clothing, physique, grooming, business cards, restaurant reservations, social positioning & posturing, professionally advantageous f'ing (sorry, no other word could describe it) and all things non-relevant to real and/or balanced life. The plastic, spoiled brat pack he hangs and competes with at "work" don't help him any as they are caught in the same tin-foiled life he is. They are not oblivious to his condition rather they are incapable of doing anything about it because they all have a degree of the same sociopathic illness, it just manifests in different ways and to various degrees for each. This could be a statement regarding any technically and financially advanced Country's executive lifestyle; where expensive watches are the measure of a man's worth and the size of a woman's breasts don't really matter as long as she performs submissively to all demands in bed and doesn't talk about it afterwards - unless of course, it boosts her partner's competitive positioning.

   I have had the unfortunate occasion to actually meet people with attitudes just as seen in the movie (male and female) and so I know they exist. I have pleasurably met many more well positioned people who consider their good fortune to be a fantastic tool (rather than a self-serving promotion and sacrificial obligation) from which to endorse and encourage compassion and respect for others. Contrary to popular speculation, not all wealthy or powerfully positioned people are plastic pigs. But there are subcultures within the wealthy circles and they are growing - so be afraid. This movie gives a glimpse of how sad and weird and plagued these subcultures of brats really are.

   The story of Patrick's madness and its manifestations has an odd but significantly warped ending, it is logical to the plot. Without giving it away I point out that it is a horrifying truism that the ending could at all take place in real life- but for various personal or social standing conveniences - people will respond to murder in much the same way. It's not pretty, in fact it's a disgusting slice of reality that one should examine or at least acknowledge exists so they can beware of it.

   There is something to learn from this social statement flick but don't watch it if you aren't prepared to have the scenes stay with you forever. It's disturbing after effects are reminiscent of "Crash" or "Natural Born Killers". It's graphic, it's blunt…but, of course, I know you didn't think butchering was entertainment… did you?