Donkey Punch (2008)

Director:

Oliver Blackburn

Writers:

Oliver Blackburn (writer)
David Bloom (writer)

Release Date:

18 July 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

This party is going overboard

Plot:

Things go drastically wrong for a group of British holidaymakers in Spain.

Plot Keywords:

Partying | Yacht | Spain | Neck Breaking | Stabbed In The Chest

Cast

Robert Boulter	...	Sean
Sian Breckin	...	Lisa
Tom Burke	...	Bluey
Nichola Burley	...	Tammi
Julian Morris	...	Josh
Jay Taylor	...	Marcus
Jaime Winstone	...	Kim

Also Known As:

The Punch (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of strong sexual content involving an aberrant violent act, graphic nudity, violence, language and drug use.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:18 | Ireland:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Australia:R | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Finland:K-18 | Singapore:R21 (cut) | Germany:18 | Canada:18A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

EM Media

Trivia:

The opening scene in which the girls hop from bar to bar is clearly shot in Cape Town, South Africa, along Camps Bay promenade. The first bar is Café Caprice and the second is The Grand (previously Opium on the Beach). The beach on which they are sitting when they first meet the boys is on the Atlantic Sea Board as well.

Punching Rather Close To Home

First of all, I'm British.

Secondly, despite what may seem overblown in the first half of this movie the behaviour portrayed of the Brit babes and blokes on vacation is a pretty average and reasonably tame version of what actually goes on in the sunny climes of Europe (Yes, American frat boys - you really ain't seen nothing).

I warmed to this effort for a while, enjoying the tension and the brave attempt at shocking the audience in a different way - the borderline gratuity of the sex orgy and the sudden predictable-yet-still-dully-shocking climax to it.

After which it does become derivative, yes, however it still contains unusual moments of raw human emotion and dilemma which make it worth a watch.

And one STUNNING moment you really should see it for: ...which I'm not sure was even meant but is a classic existential cinematic moment featuring a completely crass joke about travelling to India; Takes place after the first shocking death, with the cast sat around a table, delivered by the film's most annoying character, but such is its bad humour and so importantly the incredible floor-level widescreen pan shot after he delivers the punchline, it resembles a shot from A Clockwork Orange and completely disconnects momentarily from the actual film itself, yet draws you right in. I laughed out loud.

See it, if only just for that peculiar second.

A 6. Nice try at something different with pretty clichéd material.