Director Satoru Ogura presented the film, if you even wish to call this a film, as a snuff film and left the decision as to its validity, to the viewer. The addition of a narrator to the events only disrupts the flow of this grim torture fest.
Following a police investigation in the early 1990s a “making of” series was released as an companion piece to the film. The visuals of the movie sadly (or thankfully) don’t hold up to the standards of today but this takes nothing away from the dark aggressive tone of the film.
Presented as an early entry into the found footage genre of horror, Tokyo police are sent a mysterious tape; the contents of which will shock any hardened horror fanatic to their core, the threadbare plot consists of several men clad in black clothing kidnapping an unsuspecting female victim and filming the atrocities which they make her endure.
The runtime of 43 minutes feels like an eternity at some points, lacking any notion of easing on the torture section of the movie. This is grim, unrelenting viewing with the “snuff” portion of the movie, filmed in shaky video camera footage needlessly zooming in on the horrors appearing onscreen. Particularly nasty is a pinch and twist of flesh which undoubtedly looks painful and conveys the message this film is aiming for with none of the grace and subtlety which is usually apparent in most Japanese cinema.
The fixed camera position doesn’t flinch away from any of the onscreen horrors and the grainy amateur camerawork draws the viewer in questioning the identity of the girl as you watch her suffering without any respite.
The pace does slow with the male antagonists giggling like schoolboys as they spin their victim on a chair making them appear childish, forcing the woman to drink vast amounts of liquor and its aftermath is hard to watch, some of the effects are expertly crafted an a scene with hot oil looks terrifyingly accurate.
The horrific torture scenes are intertwined with some odd torture methods, animal entrails and worms are spread over the woman purely for shock value one would assume. As the runtime dwindles if you are still watching by this point which is a feat on its own, the kidnappers continue their punishment which climaxes in a scene similar to surrealist classic Un Chein Andalou’s infamous eye piercing scene with the surrealism replaced by pure sadism as they perform a vivid, exploitative eye surgery which has to been seen to be believed.
Overall you are either going to turn this movie off after the first ten minutes in disgust and relief or morbid curiosity and human nature is going to get the better of you and you will endure to its grisly finale leaving you with the underlying doubt to the validity of the footage.
Devil’s Experiment is hard viewing and leaves you the viewer feeling grimy and sadistic but after all that is what Ogura wanted you to feel.
Unearthed Films have released all seven of the Guinea Pig movies in a box set and the digital presentation of this region 0 DVD is barebones, fitting in perfectly which the style and feel of the series.
(This Review was previously featured on Gorepress, I will be reviewing the rest of the series so as a precursor the earlier reviews will be featured here)
Thanks for reading and please RT/Share and comment.
Popcorn Delinquents 