Film Review: Pornography: A Thriller (And Why It Should Be Called Pornography: An Arty Film)

Whilst the title “Pornography: A Thriller” is likely to get you thinking that this film is going to be some goddamn awful porno that is trying to disguise as some kind of arty film, the reality is that this far from the truth. Well in terms of it not being a porno at least..

More focused on being a supernatural thriller than it is a porno, this film by writer and director David Kittredge still however sees pornography playing a large part as it as an industry, alongside the supernatural killer that will keep coming and killing people, which is the central theme of this film. And that’s not the only thing that makes this film stand out far more complex in storyline than you might expect from your average gay independent film, “Pornography: A Thriller” is something of an attention seeker shifting through storylines that requires you to pay some serious attention if you don’t want to get lost halfway through about who is who and exactly what just happened there.

And what does happen is all a little strange. Deciding to have not one, but three parts -  the disappearance of ex porn star, Mark Anton, under suspicious circumstances in the past, an author, Michael who becomes obsessed with Anton’s disappearance and Matt Stevens, an ex porn star director who unknowing to him channels Anton’s story into a screenplay that is just doomed from the moment it starts production – this film sets itself a tough challenge to be able to make not only all them work, but also the thriller concept.

And the reality is as a thriller it doesn’t work. Jumping between fantasy and reality, Kittredge does really impress with how he’s directed and edited this film, but the problem is when it gets to half time it all starts to go a little downhill, and you soon go from thinking he was clever in writing it in four days to wishing he’d spent at least a week on it. The questions you expected to get answered don’t, but instead seem to collect more and more questions leaving you less thrilled and more confused.

And that’s the problem with “Pornography: A Thriller” .  This isn’t a dark film that will have you leaping behind the sofa and suddenly finding you cuddling six cushions. It’s too arty, too wanting to question to be that, and that isn’t a bad thing. What is is the two words “A Thriller” that have been stuck onto the end of the title. Two words that have acted to set expectations that this film can’t deliver. Take those two off, rebrand this as an independent arty gay film and you’d not only attract a crowd that this film would appear to much more than the thriller crowd, but also one that would get itself so much more complimentary reviews.

So should you see “Pornography: A Thriller”? If you’re a big fan of the thriller genre, my advice would be no. This film is only destined to disappoint. If however you’re a fan of Matthew Montgomery (or Jared Grey or Pete Scherer for that matter) and are more of an arty film fan then “Pornography: An Arty Film could be just your thing.

Pornography: A Thriller is released by Peccadillo Pictures on Monday 30th August and can be ordered online at Amazon.