Atroz (Mexico - 2015) is an extreme film directed and starring Lex Ortega on a screenplay edited by the director himself together with Sergio Tello. Ortega is moreover one of the directors of the anthology film México Bárbaro (segment "Lo que importa es lo de adentro"), as well as sound designer of Frankenstein's Army.
Atroz presents itself as a cross-section of the most violent Mexico, where torture, murder, and atrocities of various kinds often go unpunished. The film opens by showing the degradation of the Mexican capital and its infamous neighborhoods, where slowly, amid violence and corruption, paraphilias, incest, psychological and physical torture but also BDSM (sadism, masochism, erotic asphyxiation, coprophilia and coprophagia) make their way in. All in a very explicit way so as to leave nothing to the viewer's imagination.
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It is a traffic accident caused by alcohol that nails Goyo (Lex Ortega) and Dax "Gordo" (Julio Rivera), two serial killers. In their car, Police Chief Juárez (Carlos Valencia) finds a camera on whose tapes are recorded the horrendous crimes of which the two arrested are guilty. After a grueling and violent interrogation, the investigation will lead the police to the torture site where other shocking testimonies are kept.
As per title, Atroz (aka Atrocious) is a heinous and devastating, a merciless film that not only boasts a dense bouquet of torture, by the way well-crafted (it comes close to the real thing and thus the real snuff), but is supported by a good screenplay (Lex Ortega and Sergio Tello), usually quite sparse or nonexistent in most extreme or fake snuff films. In its cruelty and rawness, Atroz is in some ways reminiscent of extreme German filmography although between screenplay and direction, the mock snuff here reaches quality peaks unknown to European masters.
The videotapes found by the police, in addition to serving as individual episodes, show not only the debauchery and immoral actions of the two murderers but also serve as interesting flashbacks that reconstruct, backwards and in horror, the past of the protagonist (Lex Ortega). The result is a careful and commendable characterization of the character.
It delves almost violently into his life, up to the adolescent stage in which, again, humiliation and abuse abound against the one who, deprived of his dignity, will become a "monster.".
Atroz is a wicked film supported by a scurrying family drama that will parallel the killer's life, also showing the annihilation of the human being.
The product is well packaged. It moves from a decisive and well-structured script to compelling direction. The characterization of the characters, particularly that of the main character Goyo (Lex Ortega), is remarkable. The soundtrack well accompanies the dramas and horrors that result in peaks of unprecedented atrocity. Of note are the very successful ending regarding "revenge" and a couple of very interesting shots: a camera placed on the arm filming a fistfight against a prostitute and penetration with a barbed strap-on...seen from the inside.
Atrox is a punch to the gut and as such does not leave one indifferent. Edgy and disturbing, it is a commendable extreme film that draws an indelible gash in the viewer's memory. All in all, a film worthy of grabbing a place of honor among the icon-titles of the extreme genre.
The cast includes Lex Ortega, Julio Rivera, Carlos Valencia, Florencia RÃos, Carlos Padilla, Aleyda Gallardo, Dana Karvelas, Patricia Leih, Lauretter Flores, Orlando Moguel, Miquel Nava, and David Aboussafy.
Special effects are by Jaime Lopez and Alfredo OlguÃn.
Luis GarcÃa handled the photography.
The film is produced by Alex Ortega and Abigail Bonilla.
