Directed by Srdjan Spasojevi´c

Starring Sergej Trifunovi´c, Srdjan Todorovi´c, Ana Saki´c

There is a good reason why this is called A Serbian Film: Only the Balkan nation of Serbia could produce this landmark of transgressive cinema. With the nation’s terrible decadelong civil war a constant and unspoken subtext, former porn star Milosh (Todorovi´c) is lured back into the industry by enigmatic producer Vukmir (Trifunovi´c). Short of cash and intrigued by the suggestion of porn as art, he finds himself duped into a hell of depravity that would make Hieronymus Bosch blanch.

Stripped of its cultural context, this can seem like an exercise in graphically degrading sex, unconscionable violence, and exploitation for exploitation’s stomach-churning sake. But forget Irréversible, forsake Martyrs, and spit on Antichrist. A Serbian Film is a horrifying political allegory wrapped up in some of the most perturbing scenes ever caught on camera. It is less a film and more a cathartic primal scream from a nation that endured and perpetrated untold atrocities.