I sat and watched Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, and when it was over I sat a while longer and just stared into space.Here is a movie about some of the most profoundly debased things people can do to each other in the name of love, and its most astonishing attribute is that we do not feel anger for the perpetrators, but instead a terrible sadness.

What draws me into movies like this? For some reason I have an affinity for stories that do not leave room for false hope, that show everything without having to explain anything. There's no interpretation needed for a movie like this, no handholding or finger-pointing; everything required is right there in front of you. Like STAR 80 or Naked or Salò, it's impossible to look away from this even when the most terrible things are taking place onscreen.