Brimstone

What it's about:

Liz, carved from the beautiful wilderness, full of heart and grit, is hunted by a vengeful preacher—a diabolical zealot and her twisted nemesis. But, Liz is a genuine survivor; she's no victim - a woman of fearsome strength who responds with astonishing bravery to claim the better life she and her daughter deserve.

What we thought:

With an impressive cast that include Dakota Fanning, Kit Harrington and Guy Pearce, Brimstone showed promise. 

But the marathon 2 hour and 28 minute film will be though on even the most hardened of film fundis. 

This extremely brutal and sadistic Western tells the story of a frontier woman (Dakota Fanning) wrongly accused of a crime she didn’t commit who’s then hunted by a vengeful preacher (Guy Pearce). 

The dark and twisted story unfolds in the menacing inferno of the old American West and has a cult-like feel to it sprinkled with religious undertones. 

For some it might be an engrossing cinematic experience whilst for others, with a more sensitive temperament, it will come close to pure torture. 

Some of the more gruesome scenes include a man being hung with his own intestines, a baby being born with a crushed skull after complications during birth and a girl being taught to slaughter a pig. Not to mention the scenes where a few characters brutally lose their ability to speak after having their tongues cut off. 

This is not an easy film to watch and for the life of my I can’t imagine why anyone would put themselves through this miserable thriller voluntarily. 

Watch at own risk.