Director(s): Dusty Mancinelli, Madeleine Sims-Fewer
Writer(s): Dusty Mancinelli, Madeleine Sims-Fewer
Starring: Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Anna Maguire, Jesse LaVercombe and Obi Abili
Runtime: 1h 47min
Rating: Unrated
Our Rating: ★★★

This is not a spoiler free – review, so if you haven’t watched the Violation, I am advising you turn back now. Save yourself.**

A troubled woman on the edge of divorce returns home to her younger sister after years apart. But when her sister and brother-in-law betray her trust, she embarks on a vicious crusade of revenge.

The film starts with Miriam and her husband Caleb driving to Miriam’s hometown to spend a couple of days with her sister, Greta and her husband Dylan. The tension between Miriam and Caleb is heavy, leaving us the viewer to wonder what has happened to them as a couple.

For me, the location seems to be a part of the impending horror narrative because as you know I am no fan of nature. Once Miriam and Caleb arrive there is more tension, this time between Miriam and Greta – it is just awkward. This is also where the film starts to drag and for the most part the characters on the surface are boring and frankly uninteresting. The back story of the sisters seems promising although under-explained. After a bit you see Miriam is a little unstable, but it is not clear what has happened to her prior to the films beginning. As stated, her marriage is also shaky, and we have zero explanation as to why she and Caleb are a sexless couple. Miriam is just unhappy and so is Caleb. Slowly, very very slowly we get to the start of the main plot of the film.

When I read the synopsis for this film, I was extremely interested, through apprehensive to see it. As a viewer of far too many overly violent rape scenes in past revenge films, it is genuinely nice to not have to witness a female actor be put in what I imagine is a most vulnerable situation. Though the rape in Violation is not prominently depicted it still manages to be disturbing. After a day of drinking and game playing the couples end their night by a campfire. Both Caleb and Greta go to bed leaving Miriam and Dylan reminiscing about their childhood and a slightly intoxicated Miriam kisses her brother-in-law. She immediately regrets this action and apologies for her mistake. Next, we see a sleeping Miriam being literally violated by Dylan. The whispers of Dylan’s words to Miriam as she is saying no is horrible to hear, the rape is a polite nonviolent abuse. *Note to other directors and writers out there the inference of rape is horrifying enough, so feel free to cool it on the ultra-violent trauma porn. Sincerely, The Viewers.* Then Dylan of course attempts to gaslight Miriam as if it was a consensual the next morning, after all she kissed him, he reminds her. A gross and typical response from Dylan. I wonder if that is what abusers tell themselves to make their actions justifiable.

The next big moments occur later when Miriam decides to give Dylan a chance to sort of repent, but instead he thinks this is simply another chance at sex with her. Not a great choice, there Buddy. Unlike in films like I Spit on Your Grave, it is the male actor shown full-frontal naked and vulnerable on screen, when he meets justice. The payoff in this film is worth it, Dylan does not meet a polite end. Well, neither does Greta in a sense, because she does not support Miriam when she is told of Dylan’s actions. Is this a great film, absolutely not, as stated it is slow and drags in certain spots. Honestly, the film would make a nice segment as part of an episodic horror anthology. The writers however, do a great job of illustrating rape is just as horrible even if its not ultra-violent and revenge is sweet in the end, literally served cold.

Violation is currently streaming on Shudder.