I Spit on Your Grave (2010)

Directed by Steven R. Monroe
Starring Sarah Butler, Jeff Branson, Andrew Howard, Daniel Franzese, Rodney Eastman, Chad Lindberg,Tracey Walter

I almost let this one slip me by, I've seen the original 1978 version many moons ago directed by Meir Zarchi and thought to myself what  could a remake  possibly have to offer that the original hadn't already stated. How different could it really be ? I know that the main character Jennifer Hills ( Butler ) will be brutally raped, demoralized and degraded and then seek  revenge on her attackers, blah, blah ,blah... What I wasn't prepared for was the gut wrenching performances by the entire cast. There was not one single actor that was misplaced, the entire cast gave strong and realistic interpretations  of their character. A special nod must go to Butler for her brave performance who had to bare more than just her soul in her role of Jennifer Hills, a writer who rents a secluded cabin in the woods to work on her latest novel.This setting isolates her from the outside world , where her only way of communication is with her Blackberry that eventually goes for a crap. Doors banging in the wind and other noises heighten the tension of Jennifer's  paranoia as she realizes she isn't alone any longer. Confronted by the men working at the local service station where Jennifer had gassed up.(An interesting side note , the gas pump read $19.78 on the meter, a little nod from director Monroe to the original film. ) Having turned down his advances and being embarrassed by Jennifer,  Johnny is determined to prove his manliness to his friends. Which brings us back to the cabin where Johnny, Stanley and Andy coerce the mentally challenged handy man Matthew into raping Jennifer. Having finally escape her tormentors Jennifer flees into the surrounding forest where she literally runs into the sheriff and  Earl the man she rented the cabin from,  the pair are out hunting.Earl is ordered to return home as the sheriff  takes Jennifer back to the cabin to investigate. Jennifer's ordeal is not quite over yet.
This movie lies heavily on the strength of the young Sarah Butler's shoulders, and she is up to the task as she delivers a very convincing performance that could leave one emotionally drained if you allow yourself to.  But really,with acting and direction this good, how could you not?

My Final Thought: O.K. Hollywood if you must turn out remakes for the new generation of horror lovers do like what was done here. Choose a little obscure, controversial and minuscule budget of a film and leave our beloved classics alone. This is how remakes should be done .
My Rating: 3.5 Go Go Girls out of 5