A Serbian Nightmare
When you download the next Splattercast (episode 187), you’re going to hear Jeff and I have a lengthy discussion about Srdjan Spasojevic’s A Serbian Film. It’s going to be a somewhat confusing discussion. On one hand, you’ll hear us praise the film as an achievement and an incredible experience in sheer horror. On the other hand, Jeff will urge you NOT to watch it (not in the “then I gotta see this” kind of way, but the “No dude, I’m serious. Please don’t watch this because I honestly care about you” kind of way). I will not go so far as to say not to watch it, but I do think it is important to know that you should be warned about what you’re going to see.
We sort of lose track on the discussion. T.J., Deejay, and Steve laugh at us as we try to describe, seriously, what the fuck we saw and why we are so adamant that the film, while incredible in what it does, is literally something that a lot of people probably shouldn’t see. Jeff is pretty into “extreme” horror. He goes out of his way to watch the harder edged stuff. I watch it, but am pretty jaded. People told me Martyrs was brutal, I was “meh, whatever” about it. I have never seen anything like what I saw in A Serbian Film. It takes the “Torture Porn” genre and effectively ends it. It’s done. Over. Nothing will top the images and actions that occur in this movie. It’s both a brilliant piece of film making in how it executes its premise and an undeniable exercise in sheer unadulterated horror. Normally, that would be great news right? If Mat says something like that, then I certainly got to run out and see it! No doubt there will be many of you that DO. The genre has a long history of pushing the boundaries of good taste and fans purposely seeking out that harder edged material precisely because someone tells them not to. This film will be no different. There will be visitors and listeners of our humble site and podcast that see this post and hear what Jeff and I say and flock to their closest torrent. But hear me out before you do, please…
This is a movie that could, potentially, fundamentally alter your perception of the horror genre. It’s a film so extreme in some of its imagery and actions taken upon its lead character that, frankly, may be out of bounds. There’s stuff in here that can’t be unseen once you’ve seen it, and it isn’t pleasant. Again, I’m not saying that you should never watch this movie. What I’m saying is that you shouldn’t watch it until you’ve got a full understanding and appreciation of the horror genre itself. There is stuff in this film that will make you rethink how you engage violence in the horror genre. Violence that you see from this point forward is going to be different than if you hadn’t seen A Serbian Film. It’s a film that could very well make you question yourself; why you feel the need to watch something like this in the first place.
There are going to be women who see this film and be absolutely horrified. Things that happen to them and children that, arguably, just go beyond the pale. Every horror fan is against censorship of any kind, and rightfully so. A Serbian Film should not be censored in any way, but some of the stuff that happens in this film will make you question why decisions were made to show it in the first place. That’s one of the weird, hypnotic powers of the film: it’s breathtaking in its sheer audacity and power to evoke horror while simultaneously making you feel like there is no way to argue or justify its existence (the director argues a metaphor for Serbian politics, but honestly, almost nobody not in Serbia is going to understand what those themes may or may not mean). There is a running theme of art, and what is art, prevalent throughout the movie. It’ll certainly make you think about lots of different things. Art, violence in cinema, the treatment of women, etc.
But it WILL forever change how you view horror. In some respects, it could turn out to be one of the most important horror films ever made if audiences react to it in the same way that Jeff and I did. We live in a day and age where the most extreme thing is always touted and hyped up, but that usually turns out to be a giant letdown. A Serbian Film is everything people are saying it is. It’s the most brutal exercise in pure emotional horror that I’ve ever seen in the genre. But it could be a bad thing to see this if you’re not ready. You’ll never look at horror movies quite the same way again. In some people that might be a minor shift (ex. the next act of violence you see in a Saw film will not affect you at all, thereby harming your potential enjoyment), but in others, it’ll be a large one (giving ammunition to the moral crusaders and causing a complete reassessment of why you enjoy seeing people tortured). It’s those people that we are “warning”. This takes a certain type of person to be able to sit through and a lot of horror fans, frankly, just aren’t going to be able to do it.
I know I sound totally hypocritical here. On one hand I’m saying the film is a triumph while also warning people to stay away until they are ready. Believe me, I know how that sounds. Once again, I am not telling you not to see it. In fact, the film probably needs to be seen. What I’m saying is that make sure you are ready. Make sure you’ve seen every film on your horror wishlist that you’ve ever wanted to see before you dive into this. Because no matter what happens, all of those films will be affected after you’ve seen A Serbian Film. Things just might not pop for you like they would have. Some of the “brutal” stuff that might be in those films won’t be effective at all after seeing this movie. The bar has certainly been moved and that will change how you perceive other horror films from this point on.
Some of you will probably have no problem and this film isn’t going to effect every person the same way. But a lot of horror fans don’t know or understand what they are getting themselves into. It’s just a movie. We all know that. There is an inherent falseness to it. It’s not “real”. But there is imagery in this movie that will just make you feel bad. Gross. Uncomfortable. Disgusted. And you’ll probably question why you would WANT to feel that way? Why seek out something that is so disturbing and cruel towards other human beings? For entertainment? People get slaughtered in Hostel, and we call that entertainment. But the stuff that happens in A Serbian Film is so transgressive and so beyond what has been shown in a “torture” film that it becomes an endurance of brutality and human suffering. The paradox being that it is so incredibly effective at what it does, that how can you not call it “good”?
I’m still batting this film around. I just saw it today. It’s possible that my opinions may change over the coming weeks. Maybe I’ll come to realize that I overestimated the films power. I hope so. But I’m a pretty jaded dude. I’ve seen everything and I was genuinely shocked by some of the things I saw in this film, and not in a good way. And if I can be stunned by an act of violence, then you can be sure that a lot of you will probably take it a lot harder than I did.
And that’s all I’m saying. Just be ready for it. Jeff would tell you to never watch this, and I can definitely see where he is coming from with that assessment. I have a feeling that when this movie hits American shores, the horror genre is going to be attacked like it never has before. We need to be there to defend it. You just know some politician is going to get their hands on this movie and all hell is going to break loose. I will absolutely defend this movie, but I hope there are enough horror fans out there with the intellectual capacity to stand up to the coming storm (just wait until Fox News gets a hold of this 
). Please, watch everything you’ve ever wanted to see before A Serbian Film. Resist the urge to see it “just because everyone else has”. Trust me. The film will be there when you’re ready.
Filed under: Commentary
Jeff said:
Yeah, I’m in line with pretty much everything you’ve said here.
MikeInSacramento said:
Where can I find this?
Bleak said:
I have a copy (yea, its a boot) of this I picked up at a convention. It has been sitting on my shelf for a while now. Everyone I know who has seen it says the same thing as you guys.
Many of my friends don’t understand my fascination with horror films. I try to explain to them that horror is a FANTASTICAL and IMAGINATIVE genera. It’s these elements that have made me such a life-long fan. It’s these same friends that don’t understand my fascination that download and watch videos of prisoners of war being beheaded, when I damn well don’t ever want to see real people die and have no interest in watching something like that. I’ve seen sick stuff in my real life that still gives me nightmares. Ask me why I was afraid of cars and didn’t get my license until I was 20 years old. Ask me about the time my dad had me looking for a mans severed legs underneath a train.
When films come out that are made with the sole intent and purpose of inundating the audience with it’s depiction of violence, I find myself caught between my love for horror and my loathing of violence. I don’t mind blood and gore, but on occasions it becomes repulsive, not in the display of the wet stuff, but in it’s intent by the filmmakers to do nothing but SHOCK. SHOCK is easy.
I bought A SERBIAN FILM ’cause of the hype. I haven’t watched it because I don’t want to go down into that hole. I suffer from depression, and even with my medication, there are certain films that can put me into a funk for several days. These usually aren’t horror films, but after what Jeff, Mat and others online have said, I’m afraid A SERBIAN FILM would be one of them.
Dr Charles Forbin said:
One time I watched a woman, a concentration camp victim from WWII, talking about her experiences.
She talked about the guards going into the cattle trucks after the prisoners had been evacuated, to clear out the bodies of those who had suffocated. A guard found a live baby. He beat its brains out against the side of the cattle truck.
The interviewer cried.
Do you want to have the soul of the guard, or the soul of the interviewer?
John Carpenter’s The Thing is my favorite film.
This piece of snuff theater should be banned.
Stevie-poo said:
I just watched the film. Yes, without a doubt there’s some gruesome stuff here, but I just do not get all of these “OMGWTF!!!1!” reactions. Honestly, I can’t think of anything I’ve seen that’s worse than this, but this also isn’t something that’s going to change the way I view horror for years to come. I literally just finished this movie. And my only thought? “Meh, it’s almost 6, I better get some sleep.”
I don’t even watch a lot of horror anymore. I’m not jaded or anything. I just. Don’t. Get. It.
Mat said:
yeah, but honestly, you also “don’t get” Jaws and Halloween, so I’m not sure how trustworthy your view on the genre is
I think you’re taking from our comments that viewers are going to be screaming in fear, or become shells of their former selves if they watch this. That’s not what we’re saying at all. I watched this A Serbian Film and didn’t have any gag reactions or anything. I didn’t really have any vocal or emotional reaction that made my girl worry for my sanity or anything. I did go take a shower, though
As I said in my post, not everyone is going to be affected by this movie in the same way. But I guarantee you, next time you see the next big act of violence in the horror genre, you’re gonna go “Uh, well it’s no Serbian Film”. So something that may have well affected you pre-SF, just won’t after it. That would be an example of the minor alteration that I mentioned in my post.
Naturally, there’s going to be a rubber band effect. There’s going to be people who hear this and go “I’m a total tough guy. This is tame bullshit. The hype is overrated, etc.” You admit that this is the most extreme thing you’ve ever seen and there are moments that made you take a step back. What Jeff and I are saying is that there are certainly horror fans out there, a lot of them, that probably expect this to be some sort of Cannibal Holocaust or Hostel thing. It’s just not.
And if you have absolutely no reaction to anything you see in this film….well, that’s something you’ll have to ask yourself about.
Jeff said:
Yeah, I mean, I understand that the way we’ve described this… we’ve built it up and expectations are going to be warped to a degree.
But still.
I mean, for example, Serbian didn’t keep me up at night, whereas Paranormal Activity scared me so much that I laid awake in bed the night that I saw it. So, in that way, I’d say that PA is a “scarier” film.
Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) I overthink things. I like to just sit and think about stuff. Serbian, IMO, gives you a metric f*ckton to think about. Even the age-old questions we’ve fielded a million times before, they become more real, more… urgent? More insistent in light of this film.
For example, in the past, someone might ask us, “Why do you find it entertaining to watch Freddy Krueger cut a girl to ribbons?” And I’d come up with some answer like, “It’s just fun to be scared in a safe way, here’s this evil villain chasing people around, it’s just a thrill.” After Serbian, though, it’s a little different… not that I’m going to struggle with watching A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4 or anything, but… just violence in film, the things that ostensibly entertain us, the things in which we choose to invest our leisure time… I feel like the whole world’s been just slightly tilted, that’s all. The lens through which I view genre material has been adjusted.
EZE said:
Being entertained by violence is not a normal thing. Just look at how fucked up the world is. From the days of gladiators to today the only difference is that we watch it from a safe place which numbs us to the reality of violence. We reason that the stuff in movies isn’t really happening so it’s ok but we forget that it can happen and it does happen.
Stevie-poo said:
Films like Jaws and Halloween are completely different from something like this. You guys like those movies, I don’t. Big deal. Those movies had great effects on the genre and even if I don’t like the films themselves, I can still respect that.
But you guys are saying that this movie, like it or hate it, did what it did so effectively that it killed an entire subgenre, or at the very least has made it to where anything that comes next would be so stale as to not warrant any attention at all. I disagree. I thought in an effect to be so graphic and extreme that a lot of the big scenes came across as ridiculous. During the big scene in the middle where the movie changes, what I thought the guy might do was a lot worse than what actually happened. Certainly, if you saw this in real life, you would be horrified and you’d probably go beat this guy to death. But in the movie, it was just so over the top to me it went beyond horrible and into the realm of “oh come on”. It didn’t help though that it looked like he was jerking off something I used to sell at the toy store. From there, there isn’t any really supposedly shocking scene until the end of the film which I won’t spoil. And ‘shocking’ as it may be, you see it coming from a mile away from some pretty big hints getting dropped so by the time you see it, once again you’ve already got something in your head worse that what you actually see. I’m sure you guys will ignore all of this and make gags about me feeling I have worse stuff in my head, but there you go.
Yeah, someone could go into this and be comepletely shocked. But for me, I found it pretty easy to say, ‘it’s just a movie’ and walk away. And killing or ending a genre? I think you guys are giving it way too much credit. What was described on the cast versus what I actually saw makes me think I watched a diffrent version of the film from everyone.
Mat said:
I’m really interested now in this “expectations” argument: “You guys built this way up, but it’s not that bad” meme.
It goes both ways, right? Inherent in this argument is that if we HADN’T “built hype” then if you had saw it on your own that you’d be hypothetically more shocked or it would have had a bigger impact on you.
Which means that you are ultimately saying that your acceptance of violent imagery is predicated on what somebody else’s “personal bar” is set at. So because Jeff and I were dumbfounded by the outrageousness that we viewed, somehow we have impacted YOU into being more accepting of these images and therefore you are now looking for the next thing to sort of “top” it.
This is a really weird idea to me. I need to think about this further.
Stevie-poo said:
It’s not about accepting it. This movie didn’t bother me on any level. But it’s pretty simple. I tell someone that a film I saw was the most extreme film ever, the originality well is completely tapped, and there is nothing else anyone can do after this, then yeah that person is probably going to expect something pretty extreme. Hype has funny effects on people. We claim things are overhyped all the time. Someone else can certainly alter what you get out of a movie. Some people before a movie they want to see comes out, will avoid any sort of spoiler or any conversation about the movie because they don’t want there to be any outside influence on how they see it. So I guess it’s entirely possible that you fellas ruined this for me on the cast
“You guys built this way up, but it’s not that bad”
I’m not saying it’s bad at all. I just don’t buy into the idea that there is nothing left in this genre or any genre that hasn’t been seen before. Simple. You think the book is closed, any thing that comes after this regardless of quality will somehow be borrowing SOMETHING from this film or another film of the genre without fail, forever. I think that there is always something we haven’t seen before and just because it doesn’t now, doesn’t mean it can’t ever exist. Yeah, it’s speculation on my part. But that doesn’t bother me.
Mat said:
“This movie didn’t bother me on any level.”
That’s a pretty dramatic statement for something you admit is the most extreme thing you’ve ever seen.
jackie said:
So is this just a bunch of scenes of torture and children getting assfucked and shat on or is it actually a “good movie”?
Jeff said:
Jackie, I’d have to say this is, indeed, a “good movie.” If you want to boil it down to just a series of exceedingly brutal torture scenes, I guess you can do that. All of us can probably endure this 100 minutes, if we’re just challenging each other to a test of mettle. I think there’s more than that in here, though.
Stevie-poo said:
[“This movie didn’t bother me on any level.”
That’s a pretty dramatic statement for something you admit is the most extreme thing you’ve ever seen.]
Well I’m not particularly freaked out by ‘extreme’ stuff. Maybe ‘extreme’ isn’t the right word for me to use here but we’ll stick with it. “Most extreme thing I’ve ever seen” naturally means it’s in a higher category than anything else in the genre. But since I don’t hold any of the lesser films of the genre in any high regard, this movie can be the most extreme and still not be that shocking. I don’t know a good analogy for this. It’d be like coming in first in a race where the other runners were missing a leg. Yeah sure, you beat them, you’re the top of this group, but you’re still not THAT great overall.
the waffler said:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/couple-arrested-after-bodies-of-8-babies-found-2038412.html
Real life seems just as screwed up after all.
Mat said:
There’s a big epidemic of baby rape in Africa.
But I’m not going out of my way to watch a video of it happening just because I’m “curious”.
jackie said:
I watched about an hour of the movie last night. I might finish it, I might not. I’m having a hard time placing this in the horror genre but I guess snuff porn with a “storyline” isn’t a genre… I had a hard time giving a shit about the main character as he was a sleaze from the get-go. I’m interested to hear more discussion on this one. To me, it’s just snuff porn disguised as a thinking movie.
jackie said:
My opinion on that may change as I hear and have more discussions about it and maybe even finish watching it.
Patrick said:
“To me, it’s just snuff porn disguised as a thinking movie.”
“This piece of snuff theater should be banned.”
I’m so tired of people online using the term “snuff” for any violent movie that focuses on death or torture.
“A snuff film or snuff movie is a motion picture genre that depicts the actual death or murder of a person or people, without the aid of special effects, for the express purpose of distribution and entertainment or financial exploitation.”
jackie said:
I’m sad my knowledge of snuff wasn’t up to par.
Patrick said:
No biggie Jackie, just an annoyance of mine, as I seem to encounter it a lot.
I also thought I’d link to an interesting review I found of A Serbian Film. The reviewer praises the film, and defends it as a work or art, saying there are lots of metaphors and allegories in the film. Towards the end of the post, a few people actually living in Serbia share their thoughts on the film, and the so called metaphors. Pretty interesting:
http://www.brutalashell.com/2010/03/film-review-serbian-film-srpski-film/
the waffler said:
Just watched this, what a pretentious piece of shit. This is no more disturbing than an Eli Roth movie, it just goes places that no Hollywood film could. I think people are reading too much into the fact that it was made in Serbia. If it was called “A French Film” or “An Italian Film” would any metaphors be relevant? No, it would just be seen for what it is, a taboo breaking sleazefest, nothing more. I’m glad I watched it though because the images I had knocking around my head prior to watching it were a lot worse than what was ultimately presented. Rather than needing a shower after it, the movie itself was the shower. This is why all my favourite horror movies are the ones that are suggestive rather than explicit, no film can replicate the horrors inside everyones mind. The sooner hack film-makers learn this the better. If you genuinely want to be disturbed watch the “3 guys, 1 hammer” video. No work of fiction will ever compete with that.
Borp said:
I liked it
Mat said:
What are these “worse” things that are in your mind? Let’s fuckin’ film them and make some money!
The waffler said:
Well when u picture a babyrape in your head it’s always gonna be worse than any dodgy fx shot could possibly be
Jeff said:
It’s been a few days, so I’m not quite as shaken up as I was when I first saw Serbian, but I still definitely stand by everything I’ve said about the film.
I don’t want to call out everyone who disagrees with me, but if this didn’t bother you, well, I mean… yeah. There’s a bit of a disconnect, I think. I’m not talking about, “Are you tough enough to endure these 100 minutes on the screen?” I’m talking about what this movie says about movies, what it says about the genre, what it says about those of us who immerse ourselves in the genre.
jackie said:
oh man why did that guys kid have to be so god damn cute
Cuno said:
Just like Borp; I liked it;-) It´s just a freaky “fun” film, don´t be so serious all the time Mat, have a wank and a laugh!!
Mat said:
I’ve saved a mental note about you.
Cuno said:
Ok seriously now; please don’t misunderstand me Mat, this is NOT a good film in any way. It’s not entertaining or willing to tell any sort of story with any real plot. What this is, is only a provocation! That’s all it is. And that’s why I don’t take it seriously and laugh at it. The director tries way to hard to be provocative and being as cutting edge as possible, which only makes it pathetic. But I can see why he chose to do it; the film isn’t even released yet, but everybody talks about it. And that will continue for a long time. Now that’s the fast way to make a name for yourself!! It´s not like I´m desensitized, but there needs to be some sort of point to the violence; and not just violence for the sake of violence! Take the Hong Kong film “Men Behind The Sun” for example, now that film made me feel dirty and sorry for just seeing it. It also has a lot of pretty fuck up scenes. In my opinion that film is way more gruesome, nasty and challenging than “Serbian” will ever be. And it actually has a point to make and therefore makes a real impact. Check it out, if you haven´t seen it. It has a couple of sequels which also are pretty unpleasant!! Hope you´ll delete that mental note now that I´ve elaborated a bit;-)
Mat said:
You’re getting worse. I’d recommend you just stop.
Cuno said:
oh, I´m sorry!
Jeff said:
Well, Cuno, Men Behind the Sun is closer to an apt comparision (especially if it’s got the cat scene in it).
I guess I’m just going soft, or something, because I can’t view Serbian as silly or over-the-top. Like, Dead Alive is silly and over-the-top, y’know? I feel Serbian successfully keeps a straight face throughout, even during scenes of absurd violence.
horror_fan_from_serbia said:
Please, I urge you all not to take the name of the movie literally. The director is one of the most hated people
in Serbia right now, the cast too. Watch it if you like,
but do not think for a moment that this is something that could happen in Serbia. It is all fictional beyond all reasonable doubt. For those out there that feel badly after seeing this movie – I apologize on the behalf of Serbian people and my country.
And stop it if you can, youre good with media manipulation.
Mat said:
I hope that was real, because that comment was AWESOME.
milesaugust said:
I really hate when people compare a work of fiction to anything real. It’s not fair. of course something like Men Behind the Sun will be more disturbing because it is based on real events. i don’t what “3 guys and a hammer” is, but it sounds like something real and shouldn’t be used as comparison. I am very jaded when it comes to horror, but A Serbian Film is something I found very disturbing, and entertaining because of that. I was expecting it to be a poor production, but the acting, writing, and Red cinematography were all top notch, which is the only reason why it could be disturbing. If it were a “hack” production, it would just be in the video bin dvd garbage file with all the other straight to dvd nonsense that thinks it’s extreme, but is just bad filmmaking.
Maybe I’ve bought into the idea that Serbia is a scary place, but as soon as I heard about the title of this film somewhere, i automatically had a vision of what the movie would be like, and i wasn’t far off. The director has clearly tapped into something, or else this conversation and the thousands like it wouldn’t be taking place.
MaT said:
Stay tuned, humble listeners, for Part 2 of Dead Lantern’s wild ride through Serbian cinema on Splattercast #200
We’ll be talking about another potential doozy next episode…
Horror Society said:
A Serbian Film will be playing at our upcoming film festival at Portage Theater in Chicago on Saturday, October 23rd. http://www.horrorsociety.com/festivals/
Demetrius Nuanes said:
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