Widow Ruth is seven months pregnant when, believing herself to be guided by her unborn baby, she embarks on a homicidal rampage, dispatching anyone who stands in her way.

In the new darker-than-dark comedy horror film Prevenge, mother-to-be Ruth (writer-director Alice Lowe) has a very strong connection with the unborn child languishing in her womb. So strong, in fact, the fetus speaks to her, commenting on the people that Ruth meets and the things that are happening.  Oh, and the baby also tells Ruth to channel her inner Patrick Bateman and murder some of these people.

And Ruth does.

And that’s what we seem to get for the first third or so of this movie: absurdly comic scenes of a very very pregnant Ruth waddling after her next victim, or brandishing her favorite knife, or having conversations with her baby (who has an annoyingly sarcastic yet heliumed girlish voice that I initially hated but grew to like and appreciate). Soon enough, though, we get hints and clues as to Ruth’s motivations and choice of victims and why that knife she keeps pulling out of her handbag is so special to her and…hooboy, Prevenge really is a remarkably apt title for this movie.

Alice Lowe, who made this movie while she herself was seven months along, has crafted a remarkably sure-footed first film here.  There is not a wasted moment or superfluous bit of dialogue; she knows exactly what she needs to reveal, and when, in order to create and sustain the mystery and suspense.

Her supporting cast is great: I particularly liked Gemma Whelan as Len, who goes toe-to-toe against a violent Ruth and more than holds her own, and Tom Davis as DJ Dan who just wants to get into Ruth’s pants after a hard night of DJing down at the pub (and who does not deserve his fate)(well, maybe).  Leila Hoffman as Dan’s befuddled Mum puts a bewildered cherry on the top of her bloody hilarious scenes.

And let’s be clear: this is a damn funny movie.  With this kind of out-of-the-box plot, you’d expect it to be. It’s also gloriously bloody. And sometimes it’s bloody and funny at the same time.  For a low budget movie shot in 11 days, the special effects are surprisingly well-done, as bloody and graphic as they need to be, but not gratuitous or drenching the screen. I even gasped once at the realism of a scene involving someone’s…er…genitals, and then laughed at the audaciousness on display for including this scene. Yowza!

I loved this movie. A unique premise, a strong female protagonist, a mysterious motivation, great direction and make-up effects–they all add up to one hell of a ride, and a movie that is well worth your time.  Uncle Mike sez check it out!