The long wait on the independent film CUT turned out to be well worth it. Based on the trailer I had seen on the site, I was expecting good things. And CUT delivers big time. It's clearly a student film, shot in natural light with shaky, handheld camerawork and sometimes jarring editing. Too often, the blaring rock soundtrack drowns out a bit of the dialogue and makes it hard to hear what the characters are saying. But its amateur style actually benefits the whole production and gives it a "cinema verite" feeling that makes you believe that what you are seeing is really happening. I don't know whether that was the actual choice of the filmmaker or just a happy accident, but it works in this case.
The story revolves around a group of college students who intend to get their revenge on cute little Jody, played by Angie Morris. The reason? She's the daughter of the college dean who got the students suspended for infractions earlier. "She was probably the one who told on us anyway," one of them deduces.
"Exactly," the other replies. "The bitch deserves some reckoning!"
Mike (Jesse Sorrells), the leader of the group, is described as a "sick bastard", so we know what kind of sadistic fun he has in mind for his victim. Mike's sexy stoner girlfriend, Gretchen (Cynthia Zimmerman) has a reason to get even with Jody, since her dad got her kicked off the swim team, and she's supporting her man all the way. She calls up Jody and invites her over to a "party", setting the trap. Little does Jody know that she's going to be the guest of honor when she gets there.
She's greeted by a camera thrust into her face as she enters the room. They're going to get all this on tape. She's quickly grabbed by Mike. Gretchen smashes a bottle over Jody's head, knocking her to the floor. When she comes to, she starts screaming, but a well-placed knife to her throat shuts her up.
As the others drink beer and laugh at her, Jody is tied to a chair with her hands behind her. "Know what a snuff flick is?" Mike asks her. "Well, you're about to find out!" He stuffs a black cloth in her mouth to gag her, tying it behind her neck.
The reason this movie works so well is the sense of fun the students have in watching their prisoner suffer. They are clearly enjoying themselves and constantly pepper her with nasty, teasing comments that give the film a real sadistic edge.
They force open Jody's mouth and pour water laced with Roofies down her throat, making her choke. Then they put a large tub of water at her feet and wire up her toes with connections from a car battery. They force her to put her feet up over the water and hold them there. Her legs cramp as she has to hold this position for 10 minutes to avoid being shocked. But Mike gets tired of waiting and forces her feet down into the water, and she's given an electrified ride while the others laugh and cheer.
The guys make a run to the store to buy more beer and some condoms to use on their victim later, leaving Jody alone with Gretchen. Gretchen smokes some dope and then gets distracted looking for some Jack Daniels in the kitchen. She doesn't notice that Jody has worked out of her ropes and escaped, until she returns to find her missing.
But a plot twist eventually allows Jody to be recaptured again, which leads up to an intense scene where they drag her into the basement and chain her arms above her head to a rafter in the ceiling. She's clad only in a sheer, light pink bra and panties, which gives the illusion of nudity. They tape her mouth shut with white tape and gloat over their prized catch. Then they have fun torturing her with a knife, leaving long red slashes against her skin. After removing her gag, they further humiliate her by spitting beer in her face and intensify her pain by spraying pine cleaner on her open wounds. Jody screams her head off and then suddenly slumps in her bonds, leaving the gang panicked as they realize something has gone terribly wrong.
That's as far as I can go without spoiling the ending, but stick with this one to the very end. CUT is not for the faint of heart, but for those who can take it, it packs an emotional wallop. Director C.P. Quiros, who also plays one of the students, has made a taut little film (running about an hour) that never lets up. The performances are solid all around, particularly Jesse Sorrells and Cynthia Zimmerman, who bring a scary realism to their roles, and Angie Morris is perfect as the sweet, innocent victim. The DVD extras include outtakes and an alternate version of the harrowing basement scene, so we get to see Jody tied up and tortured one more time, and I'm always in favor of extras like that! I could see this film becoming a cult favorite as more and more people discover it. And remember, you read it here first.
