The Ungodly

Another new horror film that passed by my radar, I need to get up to speed with all these newbies!!

The Ungodly jumps direct into violence, a girl being stabbed and a guy secretly video taping it all: he's the "The Perfect Witness". The guy is none other than DIY filmmaker Mick (Wes Bentley), a drug-abusing obsessed artist in the making who's been following a serial killer, and wants to make a documentary all about him. He meets the killer James Lemac (actor Mark Borkowski who also contributed to the script) and convinces him to participate in the doc by blackmailing him with the video tape. Sick stuff or what?

Nick performs a set of interviews with the killer and begins to discover his history and darkest secrets. It all started when he was 6 years old with a dog right until present day where he kills women and cuts out their eyes.

We also learn that James is a totally normal guy in the eyes of people close to him. He's almost a saint to some due to doing charity work and looking after sick children. But things start to spiral out of control for Mick when James kidnaps his mother and murders his best friend. Yet he leaves Mick alive acting like nothing has happened. Mick eventually starts to dig into James' secrets and past, to get something dirty on him that he could use for his benefit. Who is controlling things now huh? What will happen to Mick and his mum?

The Ungodly is a gritty insight into the mind and world of a deranged soul. It is excellent edge-of-the-seat stuff, making you really pay attention throughout. You can't help but wonder why and how James became a killer. It's well acted and filmed with the main players really shining through. The film introduces us to a dark human, we learn how the killer operates, how he justifies the killings in his own eyes, and how he fits the stereotypical profile of a serial killer. I believe the title comes from something James says, "The moment that God strikes me down I'll smile, 'cause I'll believe in him for the first time."

The film has more of a thriller vibe than horror but the graphic scenes are pretty nasty and stressing. I had visions of Henry and 8MM during these scenes and couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. Applause to Dunn for his excellent first feature, I think I'll be keeping a look at my radar for his work in the future.

The DVD I reviewed was a bog-standard screener with various trailers including a Ron Jeremy horror film about his killer shlong (!!!!) and one for The Ungodly. The picture was fine but had a dark tint about it (adding to the grittiness I suppose). The audio track was also acceptable.

I enjoyed The Ungodly, a really original horror thriller that could easily give Se7en, 8MM et al a run for their money! Go buy this!

Reviewed by Broonage.