Directed by prolific Italian filmmaker Domiziano Cristopharo, La Perdiciòn is an exploration into the depths of hell and ruin experienced by the victim of a sadistic and twisted serial killer, and with the director’s reputation as an auteur of the darker and more horrific side of erotica, La Perdiciòn ticks all of these boxes.
Starring Nicholas Sartori, Lorenzo Vivian and Davide Iaconis, La Perdiciòn portrays a man called Mark (Sartori) who, despite his dedicated and loving partner Javier (Iaconis), feels their relationship becoming stale and so after meeting the older Robert (Vivian), Mark becomes enamoured with his charm and agrees to spend time with him on his yacht. The initial stages of their time together seems to be heated and full of passion, but Robert soon lets his facade slip, and reveals to Mark his true violent intentions. It is revealed that Robert is a sexual sadist serial killer and Mark is his latest victim.
Inspired by the real life crimes of the serial killer Robert “Butcher Baker’ Hansen, La Perdiciòn is an exploration into the journey of giving oneself over completely to another person, and the potential dangers and abuse that can occur when a person allows themselves to be utterly vulnerable and submissive whether that be in an emotional, physical or sexual way. Coupled with the theme of a passage into a symbolic perdition as the protagonist explores the hellish landscape of an abusive relationship after leaving the safety of, although quite stale, a somewhat safe partnership and the guilt and self-blame that comes from that.
Filmed in the Canary Islands in Spain, the cinematography of La Perdiciòn is visually stunning, littered with tranquil and picturesque landscape shots, which are in stark contrast to the violence and horror unfolding on the yacht situated on peaceful waters. And the horror is certainly where Cristopharo excels in the film. Despite the body horror sequences of La Perdiciòn being somewhat sparse, they are entirely effective in eliciting a visceral reaction in viewers, and burning the most disturbing sequences into the brains of the audience.
In spite of its lethargic pacing and barely there story, La Perdiciòn is an extremely disturbing and grim artistic expression of a descent into hell for someone who has chosen to be vulnerable and unfortunately has been exploited. La Perdiciòn is not for the weak dispositioned with genuinely distressing scenes that are sure to make even the most iron stomached person wince.
3.5 Screams out of 5
La Perdiciòn is now available for purchase on DVD from Unusual Horror Store
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