This is by no means a very good movie, but it is not nearly as bad as some reviewers think. I enjoyed most of it, but the ending was absurd. The one and two star reviews focus primarily on the acting, the lack of sex appeal of the protagonist, and the sex.
First, the acting was fine. The protagonist is supposed to be subdued and cold. As for his sex appeal, he had actual relationships with two of the women, another woman developed attraction for him over a series of sessions, another woman was older and lonely, and only one, one of the twins, really had sex without knowing him at all (and she could have been playing mind games with him). As for the other actors, they were believable in their roles.
Second, it is an adult thriller. It is on cable and with its rating, a viewer should expect nudity, sexuality, and violence. Have none of the prudish reviewers seen an R-rated movie (or whatever the equivalent rating is in England)? I did not see the mini-series, only the film made from it, and I thought the sex shown was not egregious. Perhaps the mini-series has more? Perhaps it was the type of sex the reviewers were complaining about. Bondage and rough sex were integral to the plot, though. It was an aspect of the murders and it was one of the reasons the protagonist was a suspect.
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: Mainly the ending! The way the film was scripted and filmed caused the viewer to not expect or be able to predict the ending. I had a hunch the killer was who he was, but scenes from earlier tended to make that seem unlikely. It seemed random.
What was the motivation for the killer to suddenly begin his spree? He obviously has been fine for a while, since he knows some of his victims women and has had relationships with them. What is the trigger for the murders?
As for sex and nudity, I say there should have been more! So there!
First, the acting was fine. The protagonist is supposed to be subdued and cold. As for his sex appeal, he had actual relationships with two of the women, another woman developed attraction for him over a series of sessions, another woman was older and lonely, and only one, one of the twins, really had sex without knowing him at all (and she could have been playing mind games with him). As for the other actors, they were believable in their roles.
Second, it is an adult thriller. It is on cable and with its rating, a viewer should expect nudity, sexuality, and violence. Have none of the prudish reviewers seen an R-rated movie (or whatever the equivalent rating is in England)? I did not see the mini-series, only the film made from it, and I thought the sex shown was not egregious. Perhaps the mini-series has more? Perhaps it was the type of sex the reviewers were complaining about. Bondage and rough sex were integral to the plot, though. It was an aspect of the murders and it was one of the reasons the protagonist was a suspect.
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: Mainly the ending! The way the film was scripted and filmed caused the viewer to not expect or be able to predict the ending. I had a hunch the killer was who he was, but scenes from earlier tended to make that seem unlikely. It seemed random.
What was the motivation for the killer to suddenly begin his spree? He obviously has been fine for a while, since he knows some of his victims women and has had relationships with them. What is the trigger for the murders?
As for sex and nudity, I say there should have been more! So there!