The Horseman Review

I thought this film had a lot more redeeming features actually. It wasn't your Saw type of gratuitous violence at all, and the revenge scenarios playing out against the developing friendship was really interesting. Well shot too.

Hear hear, Sarah. There is a double edge in seeing the protagoinist (called, ironically, Christian) carry out his vicious, unforgiving vendetta in the name of fatherly love - and seeing him do it before he (or indeed we) know exactly what it is that he is avenging, It is as though Christian has us, too, as his captive audience, painfully interrogating our own muddled feelings about the sex industry, retribution, and the limits of love, fatherly or otherwise.

If you suppose that all cinematic depictions of torture are thereby automatically endorsements or celebrations of torture, then you will hate (or possibly even love) this film, to be sure - but doesn't The Horseman blur the boundaries between perpetrator and victim? I thought it was about as morally responsible a handling of this sort of material as I have seen - although definitely morally uncomfortable too (which, in cinema, as in any art, is usually a good thing, at least in my book).

Agreed. This way better than the usual revenge flick, fully aware of how close those who fight monsters are to being monsters themselves. Bit repetitive but otherwise a great calling card.