In this gripping British mix of drama and thriller, a man is dragged into the back of a van by a couple of balaclava clad kidnappers and gets handcuffed. He's being accused of a gruesome crime that, according to them, was committed when he was a child. The shocked man, who's on his way to his wedding, keeps denying this. In real time, we get to witness the ordeal he goes through. Finally, the shocking truth is revealed.
Victims is a film that grabs you by the throat from the very first instant and regularly hits you like a sledge hammer. It's presented from the perspective of one of the hijackers, who's filming everything – more or less in the vein of films like The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield and REC. Victims, however, is completely unlike any of those pictures. Victims first and foremost is an intense, grisly realistic, mind-blowing psychological drama that explores the darkest caverns of human nature – on both sides.
What makes it extra compelling and atypical is that it has a twist: about halfway, the story takes a very surprising turn. When that occurred, I almost fell off my seat! (I was already sitting on the edge of it.)
The fact that this film was made with a minimum of means, no big names and a very small crew goes to show that you don't necessarily need a mega budget, major stars or hundreds of crew members to make a solid, memorable film. Director David Bryant and his people prove that when you're creative and resourceful, you can establish the most amazing things. Having talent helps, too, of course – and that's what these makers have in abundance.
If you want to see something truly different for a change and are open to the subject matter, watch Victims. I'm confident you'll find it refreshing.
