Movie Review - Manhater

Manhater

The audio review:

 

From writer Philip R. Calderone and director Anthony Doublin comes the story of an abused woman who unwittingly seeks out revenge on the perpetrators of the violent acts with the help of Enyo, the Greek goddess of war. Manhater focuses on the protagonist Vonda (played by Emelle of AMC's Mad Men), who gleans help from a spiritual woman (Alessandra Assaf) in forgetting the men who have tortured her in her past. But the woman is no Wiccan saint, as she tries to harness the power of Enyo for herself by tricking Vonda into drinking the magic potion. As Enyo begins killing off all of Vonda's old beaus, Vonda tries to take control of the man-hating entity.

Calderone's script is nicely focused and progresses fairly rapidly. It's well-written, and the lines are delivered well by the actors - this might seem like pointless praise as it's an actor's job to be good at reading lines, but it's not always so in indie films like Manhater.

The film makes its entrance with a grand slam scene of abuse as Vonda's new boyfriend, Bruce (John Henry), attempts to cut Vonda up in the throes of passion. The gritty home-video quality of the film makes the scene all the more realistic, and Henry gives a stunning performance as a sadistic yet reserved villain. It's such a surprise at the opening that it's already a great introduction to Vonda's hazardous life.

Manhater then introduces Enyo (played by bondage porn star Ariel X), a bushy-haired, thong-wearing, pasty-skinned demon who loves to claw men to shreds after she seduces them into her good graces. She can also, it seems, transform into a beautiful woman, and though it's not fully explained, it seems as though her powers are not limited to charming young men or having sharp nails.

So the audience gets a good look at the killer Enyo while she stalks her prey, but on the other side of the coin we have a bewildered Vonda trying to escape from the police after she's a suspect in the murders. It's a nice complication, one that moves the plot along and enunciates the idea that Manhater is not the stereotypical revenge story like I Spit On Your Grave, but one where the abused actually sympathizes with her abusers in the face of the murderous Enyo. In a way, it does stay true to the filmmaker's opinion that we've never seen something like this before: it seems like a typical revenge story, but with a few additions that create something new from the formula.

Blood and gore flies as Enyo tears ex-boyfriends apart, and though we can pity Vonda for her latest encounter in sexual abuse, the film lacks a depth in backstory to drive the point home. Manhater presents five ex-boyfriends who come to their demise because of their womanizing ways, but the audience is never able to share in the terror that they put Vonda through. I'm not suggesting we should see the abuse explicitly, but it would have been more effective to take the time to divulge some backstory here. Manhater still appeals to the viewer, but increasing the scope from one boyfriend to five could have made it that much more visceral.

There's also the theme to contend with, which represents men in a harsh light, as most of the cast aren't what you'd call "classy." While Calderone's script deals with the violent antics of these five individuals in a relatively upstanding fashion (considering the choice of the horror medium), the incorporation of gratuitous nudity seems to perpetuate the male stereotype. Of course, goddesses are commonly depicted as nude, which corresponds with Enyo's physical persona, but the boob shots along the way detract from Manhater's message.

All in all, the film's done some good ground-breaking on the plot with the budget they had. The special effects are a little unnecessary, but the film's score is great and the acting above-par. Though the run-around gets a little tiresome toward the middle, the fascinating character of Vonda will keep the audience watching because her character is easy to relate to. Manhater's a fun 90 minute revenge story that has a good message, even if it is muddled with excess nudity.