The star of "Seed" is human cruelty. Whether to animals or other humans, this film explores the inside of the sociopathic mind, devoid of all normal empathy or sympathy, completely objectifying all things outside of self. Max's motto "Anything that arises is worth destroying." Is very apt. It is a chilling vision indeed. As disturbing as the entire film is, some murder scenes are rather mundane and poorly done (the warden, the doctor). But two scenes stand out. The films that Max Seed is watching during the intro really made me squirm; they also enraged me against anyone so cruel. This sets the mental tone of the audience for the rest of the film. You are enraged that anyone could perpetrate such monstrous acts merely for his personal enjoyment and satisfaction. This is how a normal person should feel about such crimes. The scene with the woman tied to the chair is the culmination of Boll's sick and disturbing brilliance. The music is what makes this scene bearable. It rises in outrage at the increasing intensity of Seed's attacks, until it roars in rage at a fever pitch, but helplessly, against the barbarity of a world in which a Max Seed or a Ted Bundy or a Jeffrey Dahmer could exist. Beware of this scene. You may want to skip it unless you are really into exploring the extremes of aberrant behavior. The ending postulates Seed's effort to reproduce his pathology into the daughter of the police detective who arrested him. The film leaves us to speculate on the success or failure of his attempt.
Review of Seed
