Male Bonding

Director - Joonas Makkonen (Bunny the Killer Thing)
Starring - Riamo Hytti (Path of Crime), Tuomas Massa (Bunny the Killer Thing), and Maria Kunnari (Serious Stuff for the Runners)
Release Date - 2012
Genre - Horror/Drama
Tagline(s) - "It's the boys' night out" and "Men needs their hobbies"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) Screeners

Rating (out of 5):

       In one of my reviews I mentioned that I believe titles can make or break a movie.  Titles are often a glimpse in to the films storyline and can be a determining factor if you watch the movie or not.  However, titles that could have double meaning can easily be misconstrued.  That is what happened to me with Makkonen's short, Male Bonding.  When I received my screener for Bunny the Killer Thing I was lucky enough to also get a bonus screener for this film.  The title concerned me.  BtKT had a lot of sexual humor and I could only assume where the sexual humor could be taken with a film called Male Bonding.  However, I still wanted to see it because I did like BtKT so much and boy was I completely wrong.      
     The film follows a father and son pair that go out for some quality time together.  However, their destination is not the typical spot that fathers and sons visit together. The two visit an undisclosed location where men act out their fantasies regardless of how sick, perverse, disgusting they are.  The two part ways once inside and the father enters a room where a masked man beats the shit out of him.  In a room nearby, a man in a gas mask is force feeding a young girl shit.  This young girl is able to escape his clutches before collapsing in front of the son.  The son simply wants to lay next to her dead body and enjoy the silence of death.  The two then meet before going back to their normal and dull lives.
     This short was nothing like I suspected and only solidifies my theory that titles can make or break a movie. It is easy to let your mind wonder with a title like this but this is the rare occurrence where the title does not have a double meaning.  This also serves as a shining example to always be open minded to all films regardless of the title and artwork.  The acting seemed very good but once again it is hard to really judge due to the subtitles.  Having the film dubbed or in my native language would have been it a little more enjoyable.  The story is nothing new but does have an original twist.  The short reminded me a lot of the Hostel trilogy.  However, instead of paying to kill tourists, the two men pay to do specific acts that satisfy some deep down urge they have.  That makes the story line a little more personal and emotional.  Finally, those looking for on screen kills and special effects will need to look somewhere else.  This film offers real life situations to drive emotion from the audience instead of buckets of blood.  Overall, this is a slightly disturbing look into the world of real people.  These are people that you see daily who prepare your food, pump your gas, and teach your children.  These same people have a sick desire and crave the unusual to get their thrills.  I highly recommend this one!