Naked Massacre

Naked Massacre (AKA “Born for Hell”) is just what it sounds like it will be: sexual and violent in the vein of I Spit on Your Grave though arguably less extreme. It's most definitely a thriller, but it may well be the kind that a lot of people can't tolerate regardless of any of the production values.

It centers around an American Vietnam vet who is stuck in war-torn Belfast as he tries to get home to the States. He has a major hangup about women, one that drives him to violence. He breaks into a dormitory housing 8 nurses and proceeds to humiliate, torment, and murder them.

What makes this particularly chilling is that it is heavily based on the real-life murders done by Richard Speck. The fact that the victims are nurses, the number of them right down to the visiting girl, the tattoo (though it is modified saying “Born for Hell” rather than “Born to raise hell”), and the significance of that tattoo at the end of the story (which I don't want to give away) are all taken from the real-life events.

A recount of the real events sounds a whole lot like a movie plot outline with some differences such as the location, the villain's background, and his motivations. I don't think the events inside the dorm are an exact recreation; the Speck account sounds like there was a lot more actual rape involved, but it does give a believable scenario for how one man armed only with a knife could effectively do away with that many people.

Perhaps one reason this movie may be hard to watch is exactly because it is so believable. The acting isn't terrific (though not exactly horrible either), the dialogue often lacks, the pacing may be a bit slow for a while as the character of the villain and the girls' living situation are set up, and the editing may not be the best, but when it comes to tying up and terrorizing a group of women it gets chilling.

This isn't so much a story of development as it is a recounting of an instance. There is some character setup but no development. This is typical of a mass murder thriller and generally works fine for what it wants to accomplish. The downsides to this particular one is that the character setup is pretty slow and there isn't enough of a followup at the end. The final scene feels too abrupt to me, ending with a line that attempts to be a powerful statement but fails to make an impact.

MORALITY:

There is a good bit of violence with much of it tied to sexuality.

There are a number of nude scenes, some of them lengthy, including sexuality (pretty much all of it violent or disturbing in some way rather than romantic), torture, and glimpses of naked corpses. Even when there is no nudity many scenes include girls in their underwear. There is little that goes as far as actual full-blown rape, but numerous scenes involve molestation and sexually-related humiliation including forcing 2 innocent girls to perform sexual acts on each other while the villain watches.

There is plenty of strong language, though if the violent sexuality doesn't put you off I can't imagine you having much concern over the profanity.

SPIRITUALITY:

This guy is seriously messed up. Is he mentally ill or just evil? Probably both. He wears his “born for Hell” tattoo like a badge of honor. It's a shame how some fools prefer to embrace evil.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I wouldn't call Naked Massacre entertaining, but it's not uninteresting. It is bothersome because it's a reminder of the real evil that exists in the world, and I detest the thought of something like this happening to my loved ones (or anyone for that matter). If you're looking for something to get a rise out of you then check it out. While the subject matter is bothersome and the production values low, I did find myself on the edge of my seat and feeling strong emotions. That is the best I can say about it.

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