Trigger Warning: The content of the film and supportive images within this review may be disturbing to sensitive individuals.
Sometimes boasting about the director/writer’s previous work is a detriment to a film, and that is the biggest issue with Alexsandar Radivojevic’s newest feature, Karmadonna. If you do not recognize his name, either you don’t know who was partially responsible for A Serbian Film (2010) or you’ve never seen A Serbian Film. There is no way to describe A Serbian Film, but it is properly regarded as one of the most brutal movies ever made and was banned, and it is not a snuff film, despite its content and the boundaries it crosses. While I am glad Karmadonna doesn’t cross those same boundaries, the expectations for it to be an unrelenting grotesquely gory film were set and the final project is a more graphic (still not overtly graphic) spin on something like Alice Lowe’s Prevenge, so if you can set aside expectations, Karmadonna is fun and twisted enough.
Jelena Đokićas as Yelena in KARMADONNA. Photo courtesy of TIFF.
Karmadonna focuses on Yelena (Jelena Đokić) who is very pregnant with her first child, gets a random phone call from a blocked number that she oddly answers. At first she believes the mysterious voice on the other end of the phone is screwing with her as it spews horrible thoughts and tells her awful things. She thinks it is just a sick prank until she witnesses a young child running and mutilating his face as he goes full force into a tree. Now fully realizing the voice on the other end of the phone, Siddharta (Sergej Trifunović), who self describes as “the creator of content,” is not screwing around, she starts to listen. The task is rather simple; follow his orders to eliminate what he deems as threats and failure to do so will result in him slaughtering her unborn child. Despite the fact that Yelena is an innocuous woman who has never committed a crime let alone one of this magnitude before, she finds herself trapped between a rock and a hard place of having to carry out these orders or lose her child.
At first Yelena is very much against the ideology of murdering people, but when she realizes some of the targets Siddharta is sending her after are scum of the earth, she slowly gets on board with becoming judge, jury, and executioner in the name of her unborn child. What makes this character stand out, though, is simply that she cannot take what she dishes out — she is pregnant, needing to protect her unborn child at all costs, making the fight choreography something that brings a new level of intensity and enjoyment to the overall film.
A scene in KARMADONNA. Photo courtesy of TIFF.
The stand outs here are the performances from both Đokić (78 Days) and Trifunović (A Serbian Film) as both actors bring something passionate and are driven in their roles. Đokić’s juxtaposition between Yelena trying to be the best mother for her child, protect her child, and having to carry out these increasingly difficult and gruesome murders is the crux of the film. Her slow turn into accepting her fate and almost becoming engrossed and happy with the violence she carries out, because she knows it means less “scum” when her child enters this world is almost endearing. However, on the other end of this is Trifunović’s content god personification of modern society and engagement dialed up to 11 for evil which he plays maliciously perfectly well.
Alexsandar Radivojevic writes a disturbing piece of commentary on society. While his first time directing is a little messy not knowing where to tighten things, the messiness plays into that of modern society, as well. With the help of his two leads delivering disturbing and engrossing performances, it brings Karmadonna to a level of enjoyment that audiences will enjoy with the chaotic nature of navigating today’s social climate while also exposing the dark truth behind most of it. While it is surely going to disappoint those wanting something as shocking, disturbing, and off-putting as A Serbian Film, people who just want to watch an unwilling lackey slaughter a bunch of bad people will certainly enjoy the blood spilled in Karmadonna.
Screening during Toronto International Film Festival 2025.
For more information, head to the official Toronto International Film Festival Karmadonna webpage.
Final Score: 3 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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