Blood in the Snow Film Festival 2020: For the Sake of Vicious [Review]

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Ah, the month of October! The time when we’re all busy watching a ton of genre flicks and eating lots of candies. The Blood in the Snow Film Festival has a fascinating lineup of horror, genre, and underground cinema from incredibly talented Canadian filmmakers. One particular title they have decided to show on Halloween night is the intense and violent For the Sake of Vicious. Written and directed by Gabriel Carrer and Reese Eveneshen, it’s a movie that you don’t want to miss out on, especially if you’re a genre fan!

It focuses on Romina (Lora Burke), a nurse and single mother, who returns home after being done with work on Halloween night. The moment she enters her house, there’s a mysterious man named Chris (Nick Smyth) who has been hiding with his beaten hostage Alan (Colin Paradine). Chris strongly believes that Alan has done something really horrible to his daughter, and he wants to get his revenge on him. However, a gang of bikers decides to wreak havoc at her place, and it’s up to this unusual group of people to team up with one another and go up against their new foes.

The three lead actors bring some excellent performances to their roles. It’s just cool seeing these protagonists trying to survive and fight against the masked intruders that have invaded Romina’s home. The conflict between Chris and Alan is quite compelling, and there’s a lot of character development throughout. While it is undeniably a very simple premise, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re still interested to know more about these guys. It keeps you invested from start to finish, and it gets better and better as it goes on.

From the get-go, it’s intense. It’s raw and unhinged, which is something that you would expect to see in For the Sake of Vicious. The filmmakers do such a great job in setting up both the tone and atmosphere, which showcases the masterful execution and talent of the two co-directors. They don’t hold anything back on the violence, showcasing some impressive fight sequences. The action scenes are insanely entertaining, and you have to praise the entire cast and crew for their hard work. It definitely lives up to its title.

For the Sake of Vicious is certainly made to be seen with the biggest crowd. Everyone will have a blast watching it, which is the biggest compliment you can give to a film like this. There’s a lot of enjoyment to be had, and you won’t be disappointed. It’s a thrilling and engaging flick that adds a lot of energy to the home-invasion style of film. The co-directors Gabriel Carrer and Reese Eveneshen have delivered one of the most brutal and intense movies of 2020. It’s Canadian genre cinema at its finest.

For the Sake of Vicious screened online on Halloween night at the Blood in the Snow Film Festival.