Ravage Image

Ravage

By Alex Saveliev | August 19, 2020

Some basic questions. If Harper were really a renowned photographer, “credited for photographing two species [presumed] extinct,” why would Dt. Slayton grill her so ruthlessly in the hospital and accuse her of being a meth-head? How could you tow someone away without them noticing it or having the time to leap out of their vehicle? Why wouldn’t Harper take a motorbike to make her escape when one is clearly available? When she finally encounters Mallincrkrodt, how come she’s so relaxed, as if she didn’t just, you know, get raped and beaten, and murder several crazed rednecks? Could Harper not see the, um, twist, when she hugs a certain someone towards the end?

Gripes aside, Ravage does accumulate edge-of-your-seat momentum. It effectively conveys the dread of being trapped in a vast, indifferent, golden-hued land. Cinematographer Jacques Brautbar beautifully frames the scenery as a starkly effective contrast to the unraveling brutality (“Mother nature is the true lord of pain”). Grennan’s enthusiasm is evident in a few standout sequences, such as Harper escaping from being tied upside-down. Or the one with the bullets and the fire, or the beheading-via-metal-wire.

“…effectively conveys the dread of being trapped in a vast, indifferent, golden-hued land.”

Dexter-Jones is a compelling lead, appearing in almost every shot and holding the whole thing together. Her character is capable and sharp, though, the ending undermines all of her resourcefulness. Robert Longstreet hams it up as an irredeemable villain, while Dern appears briefly, does his Dern thing, then withers away without leaving much of an impression.

Grennan may have been inspired by exploitation flicks of the 1970s and 80s, or perhaps he found his muse in the likes of Takashi Miike, or both. He doesn’t ogle violence in the way, say, Srdjan Spasojevic’s A Serbian Film does, but he does thrust it in our face to remind us of our inherent penchant for savagery. Some will walk away shocked, others laughing at the silliness and audacity of it all. I guess that’s my biggest compliment to Ravage: no one will shrug their shoulders and go “eh, whatever” after this one.

Ravage (2020)

Directed and Written: Teddy Grennan

Starring: Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Robert Longstreet, Bruce Dern, Michael Weaver, Ross Partridge, etc.

Movie score: 6/10

Ravage Image

"…no one will shrug their shoulders and go 'eh, whatever' after this one."

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Dee says:

    How does Billy, the boyfriend, fit in?? Besides making a cameo from falling out of the rafters in the barn and then getting thrown in with the pigs. I guess it was meant to be left up to our imaginations…

  2. cat says:

    too many unanswered questions – why didn’t she just shoot him instead of letting him kill her boyfriend, and how long was she in the cow sewed up. did he burn her with chemicals, and how did she get to the hospital. what happened to the culprits??? frustrating ending

  3. Terri says:

    I just want to know who the guy is in the back seat of the red truck at the end. He has his hand under his chin smirking like he’s someone special.

  4. Ann says:

    Yea, how did she get out of cos stomach if sewed in? I thought ending was creative but definitely lots of in answer questions..

    • Troy Fairclough says:

      She had a knife in her back pocket.

    • Terri says:

      Earlier she cleaned and put a pocket knife in her back pocket.

      • Dee says:

        Yep she did, so why not cut herself out alot sooner, based on the terrible burns. She was a survivalist and did everything else quickly so she could of cut herself out quicker. The ending was soo bad, but I liked Annabelle’s acting she was good!

  5. Michael says:

    Ran out of time, then had nothing left for the rushed and silly ending. After exhibiting the attributes of a Navy SEAL, she suddenly got soft and fell to pieces. No point in it.

  6. Mike says:

    I agree lots of unanswered questions but if you watch the whole credits you see her gooey digested hand open up the barn door. Where she goes from there well who knows

  7. Richard McDonough says:

    At the end, who was the guy in the back seat of the red truck?

  8. JOHN BAGA says:

    A WOMAN GOES THRU HELL WITH THESE MEN AND THE MOVIE ENDS WITH HER BURNED AND ABUSED . ROTTEN ENDING.

  9. Jerry B says:

    Dumb ending. Ruined the whole movie

  10. Anna Beth says:

    How did she get to the hospital? What happened to Ravener? Where’s the sheriff that brought her back to hell? Too many unanswered questions…very disappointing…

  11. Cynthia Warren says:

    How did she get to the hospital ? Ending was incomplete.

    • Alex Saveliev says:

      Agreed. The ending felt tacked on for shock value, as opposed to resolving anything or making any sort of a coherent point.

Join our Film Threat Newsletter

Newsletter Icon