The Death Dealer has made you a one-of-a-kind deal. The thing is, you don’t have a choice in accepting his deal or not. Your soul is already his . . . especially if you are reading this. That’s right, Fiends of the Ghastly Gristle, The Flesh of the Unforgiven has arrived and it is just for you! But are you strong enough to survive?!
The Flesh of the Unforgiven is a dark film. It truly is unforgiving as one struggling writer finds his place in the universe absolutely rocked by The Death Dealer. It haunts its audience from the opening frame and teases with healthy doses of practical effects (mixed with some CGI) just what it is capable of delivering as one poor soul is tortured, teased, and eventually set aflame.
But, don’t worry. The violence in the opening sequence soon gives way to a slow burn of a narrative which features a collision of sorts as the souls of failed relationships (involving stars August Kyss, Debbie Rochon, and writer/director Joe Hollow) are soon involved in a figurative head-on collision thanks to the manipulations of the Death Dealer . . .
. . . and a mysterious VHS tape (remember those, Horror Hound?!) entitled Violent Love, full of all sorts of bloody carnage. The film soon becomes a disturbing take on obsession and phobia as one writer, Jack Russo (Hollow), a novelist with a 72-hour deadline for his next novel treatment finds himself in a bit of a dry spell. Needing inspiration, his editor has sent the tape.
But will the tape help fire up his imagination or will it take him to the darkest places of his soul?
The Flesh of the Unforgiven is a prime example of low budget horror delivering an absolutely shocking and twisted take of psychological horror. Everything works - from the production design to the locations and beyond - to create a tale of madness that dares take its audience on a strange and wild journey to the space between the physical and the supernatural realms. It is where worlds and entities collide and break apart, leaving their imprints on the realm of the living with dire consequences.
Imagine a schizo mix between Altered States, Hellraiser, Saw, and Malignant. This is the twisted territory The Flesh of the Unforgiven takes as Joe’s estranged wife, Sienna, finds herself walking a fine line between worlds in order to pull both of them out of the depths. This is horror fantasy at its most imaginative and it works like a cursed and bloody charm.
This is a film for those frosty days of fall or winter. Its atmosphere is a bleak one and, as it was shot in Quebec, you can feel the icy chill emanating from the screen . . . especially as the film begins and the characters are assembled. Each one of them is hurting in some manner - whether it be from a failing marriage or a haunted past - and where the film starts (with shocking visuals to the quiet calm of Canada) to where it ends, is absolutely spellbinding.
Directed by Joe Hollow and featuring a strong performance from Debbie Rochon, The Flesh of the Unforgiven is one hell of a dark and disturbing trip through Hell as the Death Dealer, a jacked-up looking Road Warrior-type of hooded figure delivering all sorts of messed-up horror, arrives from beyond the supernatural with a whole horde of S&M demons and harpies from Hell (a fabulously unhinged performance from Adriana Uchishiba) to claim their souls in the mortal realm.
Produced by Primal Motion Pictures and also featuring performances from John McLenechan and Rachel Stone, The Flesh of the Unforgiven has its world premiere on September 13th, 2024 at Dipson Theatres in Amherst, Buffalo.
Don’t run from your fears. Embrace them. These ancient words from the lips of the Death Dealer might just save your life.
MPAA Rating: unrated.
Runtime: 88 mins
Director: Joe Hollow
Writer: Joe Hollow
Cast: Debbie Rochon, Joe Hollow, August Kyss
Genre: Horror
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Theatrical Distributor: Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: September 13, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A dark, psychological, supernatural horror that follows a struggling couple tortured by the twisted games played by the Death Dealer and his manipulating legion of demons.
