Jan 6 2012 – With such an inauspicious title, one would think the movie GUT would offer a visceral flourish in non consenting body modification, hybrid torture porn, psychosexual musings or the myriad of other sub genre horror titillations one comes to expect based on the willowy torso we see. Try as it may GUT’s contrarian imagery tacks hard towards safe calming waters where banality eventually becomes the over arching narrative. Writer, director Elias offers up a decent opening volley through the tension he creates between the increasingly detached, uber conservative family man Tom (Jason Vail) and his childhood best friend and coworker Dan (Nicholas Wilder).
After finally convincing Tom to step out of his comfort zone, Dan and Tom watch a disturbing black market video the likes of which unsettles Tom and floods his mind with disturbing images and desires. Cringe worthy effects that heighten this horror genre such as using framing to conceal and reveal terror, lingering dolly shots during slow scenes of exposition, whip pans during emotionally intense moments and frightening close-ups overlaid with a surging sound track are nowhere to be found. What you are left with is bland suburban drama masquerading as a wanna be horror.
Verdict: 2/5 GUT is missing the one thing it professes to have . . . GUTS.
