Bloody Hell

A bank robbery put ex-military Rex (Ben O’Toole, Hacksaw Ridge ) in prison for eight years. Not that he committed the robbery – he brutally hunted down the perpetrators. Even now, the press is still interested in him and follows him every step of the way. To avoid the hype around himself, Rex booked a trip to Finland. Unknowingly that he is already expected there. Before he knows it, he wakes up in a dark basement and is hanging by his arms. As if that were all, things get much worse: he’s missing a leg. Good advice is valuable now. But his inner voice (also played by Ben O’Toole) is at his side.

The plot may fit on a beer mat, but the staging, characterization and tempo in Bloody Hell ensure a lot of fun. The film brings with it some amazing ideas and, with the portrayal of its bipolar main character, provides a creative output that you don’t see too often this way. The unusual mixture of satire and backwood slasher feels amazingly refreshing and despite (or perhaps because of) the many daydreams, flashbacks and imaginary dialogues, the time is cleverly used to entertain well throughout. Bloody Hell proves to be a positive surprise when you feel like you’ve seen it all before.