Director: R. D. Braunstein
Cast: Sarah Butler, Jennifer Landon, Gabriel Hogan
Certificate: 18
Run Time: 92 minutes
Synopsis: After being brutally assaulted, Jennifer Hills changes her name to Angela, moves to New York, joins a support group and hopes for a new life. But when her new friend’s murderer goes free, Jennifer will do whatever she can for vengeance.
It was way back in 1978 that the world was first introduced to the original I Spit on your Grave. The film, which sees an innocent female author brutally sexually assaulted before she turns on her tormentors, was met with a lot of controversy upon release. Even whilst the film was in production it had it’s fair share of troubles as various members of the production team quit due to the graphic nature of the proceedings. It would go on to become one of the UK’s first ‘video nasties’, although it is now available to buy. In 2010 it, like so many other horror films, got the remake treatment; the remake was met with a mixed reception, much like the original, but has produced two sequels. The first followed a different young woman, whereas the latest one, the third in the series, revisits the first victim Jennifer Hills.
The idea to revisit Jennifer, now going by Angela, is a good decision as there is a lot of narrative scope to be had by seeing how she is now coping. Sadly, like many victims of sexual assault, Jennifer is having a hard time readjusting to life. She’s become somewhat of a recluse, and has inadvertently let herself continue to be a victim. Hoping to help Jennifer/Angela, her therapist recommends that she join a rape support group. The group unfortunately causes more harm than good however as she is confronted with just how sadistic the world is, and after meeting fellow survivor Marla, Angela is seduced into the vigilante life.
This jump into vigilantism spares us another wash, rinse, repeat scenario of seeing another woman attacked only to seek her vengeance. Jennifer still has plenty of anger about what happened to her and whilst most of her anger is directed at the attackers, she also has a fair amount left over for the police force. She sees great injustice that her and her friends attacks aren’t given the same amount of time and investigation as the murders of their assailants. Sarah Butler returns to the role of Jennifer/Angela and again gives a powerful and engaging portrayal as the victim turned vigilante.
Despite a distinct lack of blood, gore hounds are going to have a lot of fun with I Spit on Your Grave 3: Vengeance is Mine. Jennifer’s vengeance is just as devilish as it was in the first film and male audiences are going to have a very uncomfortable time in places. Granted these ‘revenge’ scenes are also pretty over the top, but they still pack a punch.
Where the film falls down and disappoints is with some of the dialogue. For a film that is trying to portray females as strong and empowered it doesn’t make sense that Jennifer would call her victims things like ‘pussy’ and accuse them of crying ‘like a girl’. By saying these things she herself is perpetuating the ideology that females are the weaker sex.
An interesting and wince-inducing watch, I Spit on your Grave 3: Vengeance is Mine is unfortunately let down by its mixed messages.
I Spit on your Grave 3: Vengeance is Mine screens as part of Frightfest’s Halloween event on Saturday 24th October before arriving on DVD on Monday 26th October.
