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by Zack Roddy
Let’s just get the nasty part out of the way shall we? A “donkey punch” is a sex act that involves a man punching a woman on the back of her neck during intercourse to strengthen the orgasm. Despite the fact that this is probably an incredibly stupid thing to do, it is the major plot point of first time filmmaker Olly Blackburn’s horror/thriller, so we’ll have to forgive it’s existence.
The story centers on three college aged British girls who are vacationing in the Mediterranean. Although they vowed to keep the trip “girl’s only” due to a recent break-up, they happen to meet four handsome British guys in a bar. After a bit of persuading, the girls agree to accompany the boys back to their sprawling yacht in the harbor for a night’s worth of partying. As they all get high on Ecstasy and meth, it turns from casual sex to explicit group sex, and it is here when the aforementioned “donkey punch” occurs, resulting in a broken neck and a dead girl. It’s made all the more complicated by the fact that the entire act was caught on video.
The boys, who were so charming before, suddenly turn exceedingly nasty; wanting to dump the dead girl’s body in the middle of the ocean and call to file a missing person’s report 45 minutes later. The girls want to stick with the truth, which could mean prison for them all. As alliances and enemies are made, the girls fight to overcome the boys, who are becoming steadily more deadly in their fear.
Donkey Punch is perhaps the biggest surprise I received at the festival this year. I went into the film with low expectations, and came out acutely thrilled. The film is good, very good, building tension from the very beginning, and makes no apologies for its explicit use of gore, sex, and violence. The cast of unknowns is excellent in portraying the fear of their situation, and the script by Blackburn and David Bloom is spot on as well. Look for it soon in theaters.
