The Film So 'Cruel' Roger Ebert Refused to Review It
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert was known for his sharp opinions, but one 2005 horror movie pushed him over the edge. He found it so disturbing that he broke his own rules, refusing to give it a formal review and instead issuing a stark warning to all potential viewers. What made this film so uniquely vile?
Roger Ebert was never the biggest supporter of the horror genre, but he always gave credit where it was due. One film, however, an unofficial remake of a movie he had once praised, provoked a reaction unlike any other. He was so thoroughly disgusted by it that he declined to write a traditional review, instead publishing a piece that warned audiences to stay away at all costs. The celebrated critic went so far as to admit he wished he had never seen it in the first place.
A Remake Gone Wrong
The movie that prompted this response was David DeFalco’s 2005 horror flick, *Chaos*, a modern retelling of Wes Craven’s infamous *The Last House on the Left*. Surprisingly, Ebert had awarded Craven's controversial 1972 original a respectable 3.5-star rating, showing he wasn't against the fundamental storyline. DeFalco's version, which only altered character names and the conclusion, hit a different nerve entirely.
Released during the peak of the “torture porn” craze, the movie seemed to Ebert to be using extreme gore to cover up its deep-seated problems. He saw it as not just a poorly made picture, but a morally offensive one that lacked any redeeming value.
An Unprecedented Condemnation
In place of a standard critique, Ebert issued a scathing takedown.
“Chaos is ugly, nihilistic, and cruel; a film I regret having seen,”
he began.
“I urge you to avoid it. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s ‘only’ a horror film, or a slasher film. It is an exercise in heartless cruelty, and it ends with careless brutality. The movie denies not only the value of life, but the possibility of hope.”
He felt so strongly that he broke from his usual format, choosing instead to quote other critics and publications that had savaged the film. His own writing conveyed a sense of genuine trauma from the viewing.
“There are two scenes so gruesome I cannot describe them in a newspaper,”
he wrote.
“No matter what words I use.”
He added, describing its profound effect on him,
“Having seen it, I cannot ignore it, nor can I deny that it affected me strongly. I recoiled during some of the most cruel moments, and when the film was over, I was filled with sadness and disquiet.”
A Director's Rebuttal
The closest Ebert got to a real analysis was a string of blunt, dismissive judgments. He labeled the violence as
“sadistic, graphic, savage, and heartless,”
the dialogue as
“often racist,”
and the on-screen action as merely
“the girls weeping and pleading for their lives.”
He specifically called out Kevin Gage’s performance as the main villain as
“repulsive and cruel.”
That was the full extent of his commentary, leaving anyone looking for a detailed breakdown disappointed. Director David DeFalco responded to the critic’s public evisceration by taking out a full-page ad to defend his movie. Ebert was unmoved, retorting that
“your real purpose in making Chaos, I suspect, was not to educate, but to create a scandal that would draw an audience.”
He refused to take the bait and engage any further.