Good-old-fashioned-horror impresario Lucky McKee (McKee’s May screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival) returns to Park City with an outrageously sadistic peek under the surface of family values gone terribly wrong.
When stern patriarch Chris Cleek stumbles upon a wild woman while hunting deep in the woods, he does what he believes is the only logical thing—he stalks, captures, and imprisons the savage in his shed with the intent of civilizing her. Naturally, Cleek wants his whole family to participate in the process; refusal is not an option for his frail wife, reluctant daughters, and all-too-eager son. As his training methods turn increasingly torturous, resistance is met with brute force and animalistic urges, building meticulously to an unrelenting, carnage-filled climax.
Writhing through themes of abuse, legacies, and adolescent pain, McKee’s exercise in cruelty gleefully grinds the classic Pygmalion story into a macabre pulp for all to enjoy. –Sundance Film Festival
Edward Lucky McKee (born November 1, 1975 in Jenny Lind, California) is an American director, writer, and actor, largely known for the 2002 film May, which has acquired a cult following.
McKee has also directed Sick Girl, the tenth episode of the first season of the popular Showtime TV series Masters of Horror. He directed the movie The Woods, which was released on DVD October 3, 2006. Lucky McKee also co-directed the hard-to-find horror movie All Cheerleaders Die, which is not currently in print.
In all of his films, with the exception of The Woods in which she only appears in voiceover, actress Angela Bettis has appeared as a main character. McKee stars in the film, Roman, for which he also wrote the screenplay. Roman was directed by Angela Bettis and released on DVD March 27, 2007. Another frequent collaborator is longtime friend Jaye Luckett of the rock group Poperratic, who has soundtracked all of his films to date under various names, including Roman.
McKee… read more
It brings so many questions and issues; some of them, you would be better off without. At some points, it felt like it was losing its way. Sean Bridgers' character is one of the most hateful characters I've ever seen. Some details could have been more explored in order not to be just hollow. It's original and powerful but, somehow, not truly effective.
An interesting take on gender roles in our society. But the lighting, camera work make it fall flat and turn it into a b grade horror film
Difficult to watch the first time, almost impossible the second time. I wasn't bothered by the gore but rather by the intense portrayal of misogyny. Sean Bridgers plays one of the most monstrous and hateful characters I've seen in a movie. It's intelligently written, and clearly McKee's not condoning any of the behavior portrayed here, but it's still tough to handle. Horror with a sick sense of humor and real ideas.
"For the first time, New Frontier curator Shari Frilot has a venue in which she can put together a coherent show, and she has come through