The Benefactress (an Exposure of Cinematic Freedom)

From its opening moments, THE BENEFACTRESS (an exposure of cinematic freedom) makes it clear it has no interest in playing by the rules. The film blurs the line between reality and cinema in a way that is both awkward and profoundly uncomfortable, immediately immersing the viewer in a state of unease. The very first scene feels less like a traditional film and more like a stolen glimpse into a private, terrifying moment-reminiscent of a kidnap victim reading out demands or a distressed individual making a final video confession. It's an opening that not only builds suspense but also shatters the fourth wall, making you feel less like a spectator and more like a co-conspirator.

The decision to shoot the entire film in black and white adds an additional layer to this feeling of profound discomfort. Stripped of color, the world of THE BENEFACTRESS feels stark and unforgiving, amplifying every shadow and expression. The cinematography is intensely voyeuristic, making the audience feel as if they are watching something they shouldn't be. This isn't a passive viewing experience; it's an active one that demands your full attention as it meticulously builds suspense. The film excels at showing us the horrifying things that a normal horror film would simply cut away from, forcing us to confront the deepest fears and darkest thoughts that unfold in the mind.

At its core, THE BENEFACTRESS is a masterclass in psychological stress, a brutal art-house film that is both sexually sadistic and deeply unsettling. It's a genre-bending piece of cinema that blurs the lines between fear, compliance, and desire. It pulls back the curtain on the darkest corners of the human psyche, exposing the complex and often contradictory emotions that can coexist. The film is, in the simplest and most accurate terms, a stress arthouse sexual torture porn horror-a niche genre it single-handedly defines and elevates.

For a film that pushes so many boundaries, THE BENEFACTRESS achieves something truly remarkable: it creates a hauntingly beautiful, albeit deeply disturbing, work of art. While it may not be for everyone, its audacious vision and unwavering commitment to its themes make it a triumph of cinematic freedom. It's a film that will stay with you long after the credits roll, a testament to its power and a well-deserved 9/10.

THE BENEFACTRESS (An exposure of cinematic freedom) is a direct act of mutiny towards modern culture and what mainstream deems as normal cinema. This is not a film for the 'normies' or the faint of heart. There are ghastly images of horror, a terrifying plot in which we see two women on a rampage against another woman in a violent display of power dynamics, as well as a director with an intense and unconscionable vision. Let me be frank; this is a brutal assault on the viewers senses. By the end of it, you will either hate this with every fibre of your being, or it'll be accepted and loved as a film that will go down in history for its avid approach to cinema. The graphic images, the conception of the plot, the violence, deep psychological threads, as well as the filmmaker's sexual expression, make this an insane and profound film. He demands his actresses to perform, almost like they are pieces of a puzzle to manipulate, in order for Metropolitana to get his vision and thoughts across. You have to view this from start to end, after the credits, as there is more to see and hear. And don't blink, or you may miss the subliminal messages that are strewn throughout the film. The attention to detail is beyond excellent, which of course is a signature of Metropolitana's cinema.

At the beginning we scroll through a written explanation of how the film came into existence, and who Elektra McBride is and why she is so important to this film. She is a middle-aged woman suffering with respiratory related problems and is the wife of a famous American Televangelist and Christian pastor who owns a TV channel on a religious video-on-demand digital platform. She's watching the horrors happening from the comfort of her home; via video link from her cell phone. Part of the write up at the beginning sets the scene and tone immediately. "This film is an account of the other side of the film industry, and shows what an underground filmmaker can do with mainstream money and support from some of the same people who on the outside appear to be against unconventional cinema, but often behind closed doors, and with fake names, can and do actually contribute to the very existence of this type of filmmaking."

The introduction is the first indication that this film will push all of whatever boundaries are left to break, "How far can a filmmaker's artistic freedom go?" which is foreshadowing the horrendous events that take place in what I would call, 'the house of horrors.' We meet Juicy X, a voluptuous middle-aged woman, she stutters and is hesitant in her monologue; giving off the impression that she isn't all there in the head. What I found particularly interesting when I look closely at the components of the film in detail is that Juicy X has a certain emotionless demeanour when it comes to acting out her violence towards the Mystery Woman. The immense cruelty of Juicy X is not only one of the film's predominant elements, it is also one of its most terrifying. However, the most atrocious character is Elektra McBride, because she finances the film under the provision that the actions being filmed are carried out for real, and consequently the suffering is authentic. This clearly shows the level of her evilness, that in a way, supersedes that which is acted out by Juicy X.

Juicy X is going about her business in the house, like it's just a normal enough day. The scene changes dramatically when Juicy X discovers that the Mystery Woman has escaped her confines. The first assault is shown in techno colour, and the sound effects are gruelling. It immediately makes the viewer's senses switch on; which of course is why the sound effects are vital to this film, and it's another element that Metropolitana is famous for. It's painfully obvious that Metropolitana wanted to represent women in all of their many facades. The impermeable and cruel nature of Juicy X. The Mystery Woman as the weak and vulnerable victim. The sadistic and controlling Elektra McBride. Before the first assault is over, Juicy X shaves the Mystery Woman's private parts.

We cut to a scene of Juicy X in the kitchen, gulping back a bottle of wine and crying, to the screams of ecstasy from the filmmaker, and screams of terror from the Mystery Woman. We see a slither of humanity from Juicy X and I had to wonder if it's guilt? However, the moment is short lived, as she up's the ante with a gun. The director proceeds to use the gun against the Mystery Woman, meanwhile Juicy X is lying on the couch scrolling through her cell phone. This shows the total disconnect between what is right and wrong. It also shows how far-gone Juicy X is: She is pure evil incarnate. Metropolitana certainly knows how to combine human intensity, evilness, and perversion into an extraordinary form of art.

The director's illicit behaviour is compelling and deplorable to watch at the same time. There is a certain nastiness coming through upstairs, in front of the mirror and in the bathroom. There is almost something immature about the director, compared to the viciousness of the women. He runs on desire to fulfil his primordial urges, whereas the women show total control, almost in a calculated approach to inflict the most horrendous wickedness upon their victim. He crosses boundaries, as he delves into the far corners of human psychopathy at its worst. He cleverly and courageously integrates meta-cinema, guerrilla filming, underground tones, pornographic images, violence, horror, spontaneity, and human psychology into the film. The SOV continues, and is an enthralling way to create maximum tension. This type of exposure is sure to make the audience gasp in horror. We see how far this filmmaker will go to express himself as both the character in his own film, and Guerrilla Metropolitana the filmmaker; blurring the edges between Metropolitana playing the role as the sadistic director (controlled by Elektra McBride) begins, and where the filmmaker, Guerrilla Metropolitana, ends. They are blended in a fascinating way, entwined in this madness.

But it doesn't end there! The cleaner (played by Marie Antoinette de Robespierre) turns up to clean the house. We get an insight into her personality as she travels from room to room, cleaning up the crime scene. We see an image of Guerrilla Metropolitana posing for a photo, with a quote saying, "Only the enlightened taste the fruit of freedom, whilst in the valley of sh**, the useless sleep." After the credits, we can hear that filming has resumed with the next victim, as the director screams for more!

Overall: THE BENEFACTRESS (An exposure of cinematic freedom) can be watched in reverse and would ultimately have the same outcome for the viewer. The sound effects are terrible and visceral, with a variety of repetitive sounds, screams, sobbing, and violence, are craftily placed to enhance the scenes. This film is for deep thinkers and not a mediocre audience. Those enlightened individuals who can appreciate the artistic quality of the film, without prejudice or judgement, who can look past the intimate severity of this film, as it is not for moralists or for gratuitous sensationalism. The filmmaker's vision is nothing more than artistic freedom. He doesn't follow the norms of the market and he does not damper it down for those normies of the world. He does what he does, because he can. We can clearly see that his cinema is an art form that should only be used by those who truly have something to say. His cinema is strongly connected to his sexuality and identity. There are interesting colour changes, from black and white, to scenes in techno colour, and it goes hand in hand with the shifts in moods and tones.

Finally, both actresses Juicy X and the Mystery Woman perform in such a way to make this film as realistic as possible. Considering they both come from traditional acting backgrounds, they deserted every textbook of traditional acting in this film, deciding to be molded like clay by the director, according to a very specific vision of cinema; free from classical rules. They delivered their roles with professionalism; the quality of their performance shows how talented they are. I commend their bravery in pushing themselves past any modesty or fear of backlash from the conservative people of the world.

Reviewed by Del Gibson.

The Benefactoress by Guerilla Metropolitan is a bold, unsettling yet thought-provoking film. It pushes boundaries with its raw narrative and striking visuals. While not for the faint-hearted, the creativity and daring effort deserve recognition.

I love it personally as for the creativity and all the effort has been used.

Watched over by a wealthy benefactor, a woman begins to toy with and sexually denigrate her unnamed captor for the whims and perverse pleasures it provides for both participants, but when it starts to blur the lines of fantasy and reality, their seedy director pushes them further along.

Overall, this was a troublesome production. The idea of this one, focusing on the depravity and degradation that takes place throughout the shoot, all for the sake of producing some of the deranged imagery involved, leads to some incredibly brutal and harsh ideas. With the relentless sexually-charged atmosphere here displaying all sorts of crude tortures and humiliating showcase pieces against a clearly unwilling recipient makes for an uncomfortable experience the longer it goes on, from toying with her using toys and other such stimulants to everyday objects around the house, and the more disturbing shenanigans that have a part in what's going on. The constant stream of nudity and overtly obvious inserts of the gimp-masked figure playing with themselves, with everything happening around them in an escalating series of encounters, which helps to add an uncomfortable touch on top of everything. Beyond that, there's not much to this one. The abject lack of a plot makes for such an utterly repetitive setup where the film keeps going for sexual degeneracy and depravity that it becomes bland and annoying. The different tactics that are employed with their sexual proclivities just wear their shocking nature, just for how often it all continues happening, so the whole thing just becomes a slough of the same thing happening over and over again. It fails to become shocking the amount of time it keeps going for the same concept over and over since it has little idea what to do next, with there not being much in the way of a storyline beyond just a concept. As well as the arthouse style-approach to filming that might make for an off-putting experience at times, this is what holds it back overall.

Rated Unrated/NC-17: Extreme Constant Male and Female Nudity, Hardcore Sexual Content, Graphic Language, Violence, and constant rape scenes.

A bold step into the past of grindhouse artistic film Dark, Gritty, and un nearving If you want to take a trip to the beyound what is possible than look no further this film will take up to the depths of the shadows and make you wonder what is next.

This is Dark art at its finest.

Jack Russel The Todd Jaeger Experience.