When taking a chance on a sight-unseen, used DVD, my expectations are usually fairly reflective of the few bucks I shell out for it. "The Killing Gene," while boasting a fine cast, struck me as nothing more than another blurb-happy, sledgehammer obvious entry in the Dimension 'Extreme' line of hit-or-miss horrors. After having watched it, all I can say is...holy hell. Obviously targeting the audiences that made "Saw" and "Hostel" the New Torture Vanguard (one of the box blurbs directly references the former, not without accuracy),"The Killing Gene"--despite some transparently derivative elements pulled from the genre--comes very close to trouncing its competition. Remember that moment near the end of "Saw" when Cary Elwes does the unthinkable with the titular tool? Well, imagine that degree of gritty intensity stretched out over the course of 102 nerve-shredding minutes, and you have a good idea of what to expect here. Stellan Skarsgard (bearing an uncanny resemblance to Donald Pleasence) plays a homicide detective investigating a string of torture-murders with novice cop Melissa George; suspicions are running that the killer is targeting a group of vile gang members out of revenge for an equally hideous crime (which I won't reveal here; it's a truly horrifying scene). Clive Bradley's script doesn't use the torture angle as a mere marketable throwaway, nor does it treat the characters as meat for the machine; there is a surprising amount of development here, to the point where our sympathies and doubts become one and the same. From a visual standpoint, director Tom Shankland ("The Children") uses jerky digital video and claustrophobic close-ups to convey a sense of urgency within a decaying urban nightmare from which all hope has been drained (this could very well be the most squalid metropolis since David Fincher's "Se7en"). As an unapologetic, unashamed horror fan, I often find myself sitting through garbage that isn't worth the DVD it's pressed on, which makes something like "The Killing Gene" all the more refreshing. Yes, there are some parts you'll feel as though you've seen before; but damned if the overall experience doesn't leave you shaken and adequately disturbed afterward. (It also bears noting that this R-rated film contains some of the most unglamorous, boundary-pushing violence in recent memory.)

A veteran police detective by the name of Eddie Argo (Stellan Skarsgard) investigates the bizarre serial murders in the seedy streets of New York City. Eddie is team with a bright female rookie (Melissa George) to find the murderer. While on the case, they find out the victims were forced to kill themselves or kill a life of a loved one to save themselves. They soon realized, this psychopath (Selma Blair) is out for revenge and she won't stop her carnage until her vengeance is done.

Directed by Tom Shankland made an intelligent, thought-provoking thriller with moments of brutality and effective moments of graphic violence. Skarsgard, George, Ashley Walters as Eddie's informer and Blair gives strong memorable performances. Originally titled "W Delta Z", "The Killing Gene" is a well made film that wasn't well marketed, it went straight to DVD in most countries and released limited to theaters instead. The picture should found an audience on DVD.

The DVD has an dark atmospheric (and grainy) anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an fine Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The DVD also includes three featurettes, deleted scenes and an trailer. "The Killing Gene" is a harsh, mean-spirited film that is smart and the visual look of the movie is uniquely unsettling (The way this picture should look). A very good film is certainly not for the squeamish and too depressing for some viewers. If you have the stomach for it, this is exceptionally well written by Clive Bradley and it has a couple of unexpected genuine plot twists in the third act. Don't miss it. HD Widescreen. (****/*****).

I'm not sure why this film was so highly acclaimed upon release. It's another grim and unsatisfactory serial killer outing, with Stellan Skarsgard on gruff form as a tired, beat-down old cop investigating the crimes of a murderer who carves a mysterious symbol upon the bodies of his victims.

It amazes me that over a decade after the success of SE7EN, films are still content to copy the same look and feel. W DELTA Z is an uneven movie in which the usual police procedural stuff feels tired and forced. It doesn't help the film at all that the characterisation is nil and when finally unmasked, the serial killer role suffers from the worst miscasting ever. Plus, W DELTA Z copies heavily the kind of torture porn familiar in the SAW movies, so don't expect a lot of insight here, just pain.

With Skarsgard on autopilot, it's left to the supporting cast members to try to do something with the movie. Tom Hardy has a brief but eye catching turn as a street thug, but Melissa George takes centre screen in one of those rookie cop type roles. I've always liked her as an actress, especially given that she seems fond of the horror genre given how many horror movies she'd made over the years. Paul Kaye and Selma Blair are lower down the list. In any case, you can't help but feel that the actors are wasting their time with this one.