A group of men profit off kidnapping young women with purpose of creating pornography appealing to extreme sites. When their latest capture turns out to be deceased, the men scramble to string together a profitable video with the deceased corpse and the use of audio editing techniques.
“PRE POST” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
If not gathered by the short synopsis, the content matter of “PRE POST” tackles an uncomfortable subject matter fitting for gritty exploitation film – through characters that have no qualms about abduction, sexual assault and (shockingly) necrophilia. Consequently, the most apt description given to this gang would be along the lines of ‘scum of the earth', humans with no redeemable qualities. Obviously, this type of cinema is hard to approach without alienating audiences or devolving into pure shock value; thankfully Abhimanyu Roy is able to avoid the pitfalls in a few noteworthy ways.
Firstly, it is important to note that the extreme content is implied through conversation, with cinematographer Turja Ghosh finding ways to obscure the view of the atrocities being committed. Undeniably, the conversation between the men that treat the deceased as a commodity is deeply upsetting, but this content is not pushed to its most extreme through needless depictions of violence. Essentially, the choice to obscure and be visually vague conveys the filmmaker's intent in handling the sensitive subject matter.
More importantly, the production carries with it a strong message of anti-pornography and anti-abuse since nothing is glorified, justified or fetishized. Furthermore, the short gives an unsettling account of the dark side of pornography in how Internet feeds the demand for exponentially extreme content. Regardless of anyone's stance on how we as a society consume pornographic material, the shady side is something which should be maligned with a deep hatred. Ultimately, Abhimanyu Roy succeeds at putting a face to the most despicable side of humanity and creating a strong sense of malice towards those who pray on the weak.
While the production carries the narrative tone of gritty exploitation, the video and audio stays largely polished. As mentioned, Turja Ghosh figures out ways to navigate some disturbing scenarios to make sure the focus is never on the act of violence itself. Essentially, his ability to convey the horrific acts and capture the drama between the perpetrators without shocking the viewer is easily one of the greatest successes of “PRE POST”.
There is no way around it, “PRE POST” is a deeply upsetting short film that will be off-putting to the majority of audiences. However, it is a carefully crafted assault on the senses that speaks to the socially redeemable properties of the exploitation genre – showing humanity at its worse, as both commentary and warning. In the end, viewers who can't handle challenging narratives should approach with caution or avoid all together but those with the stomach for it will be treated to a wonderfully crafted exploitation short.
