Brutal Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		1.5

Brutal Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 8, 2019

Given its Japanese provenance and emphasis on over the top style combined with near torture porn levels of gore and mayhem, it might be understandable if some viewers of Brutal assume that it’s the handiwork of Takashi Miike, rather than Takashi Hirose, as is advertised rather prominently on this Blu-ray's cover. Brutal is a peculiar, disturbing film that posits two serial killers, each introduced via their own separate vignettes, and each of whom like to inflict what I would attempt to discreetly term as “genital mutilation” on their hapless victims. Brutal may well appeal to those who like copious amounts of blood and guts, not to mention the moans and shrieks of terror emitted by bound and gagged prisoners who are in the throes of a violent death, but unlike many a Miike film, there doesn’t appear to be a ton of subtext or even what passes for nuance in a Miike film in this particular enterprise. There is a certain "Miike-esque" surreality in a climax that offers some overtly shocking imagery along with hints of a "new beginning" that may augur another Brutal film down the line.

Despite fitful attempts to provide at least a bit of backstory, the narrative in Brutal is absolutely minimalist, and in fact large swaths of the film play out almost silent film style, with hardly any dialogue. A series of gruesome killings is offered, leading to what I guess would be a "meet cute" between the male and female serial murderers, who then go at each other with knives. There's a patently shocking reveal, one which may help to "explain" these characters' focus on their victims' "naughty bits", along with a patently gonzo wrap up which seems to suggest that there may be a sequel called Brutal: The Next Generation.

Brutal Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Brutal is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of MVD Visual and Unearthed Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. As can perhaps be gleaned from some of the screenshots accompanying this review, the imagery here has been pretty heavily tweaked to resemble old, badly damaged film, including everything from scratches and splotches to wobble in the credits and the like. Large sequences almost resemble bleach bypass techniques at times, with weirdly skewed color and off kilter contrast. All of this said, detail levels tend to be quite high through the presentation, at least when "jiggly cam" doesn't introduce perceptions of softness. There's a lot of gore in this enterprise, including long, lingering looks at various body parts, and fine detail in some of these shots can be squirm inducing.

Brutal Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Brutal offers an intermittently forceful LPCM 2.0 track that benefits from some good source cue and/or underscore choices, which run the gauntlet from head banging punk to kind of lyrical piano. There's not all that much dialogue in the film, but what is offered is presented cleanly and clearly. Other "vocalizations" like screams, moans and cries for help also resonate with decent authority on this problem free track. The back cover of this release incorrectly lists a Dolby Digital 2.0 track instead of the LPCM 2.0 track that is included.

Brutal Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes (1080p; 2:06)


• "Nakigoto" Music Video (480p; 5:13)


• "Brutal" Music Video (480p; 3:30)


• "Blood" Music Video (480p; 5:05)


• Trailers includes Brutal (1080p; 00:33) along with trailers for other releases by Unearthed Films.

Brutal Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's obviously an audience for intentionally provocative fare like this, but I have to wonder if even diehard horror fans are going to think the two genitally obsessed killers in this film are worth spending much time with. That said, Hirose certainly knows how to exploit stylistic flourishes, and for those who do like films filled with tons of blood and guts, not to mention some horrifying missing or altered body parts (that's a bit of a spoiler), Brutal may fit that peculiar bill perfectly well. With an understanding that Hirose is offering a stylistically altered look (and to a lesser extent, sound mix) with this outing, Brutal's technical merits are solid.