I like a lot of styles of film, most of them containing huge amounts of violence (and nudity, really) and for my entertainment dollar nothing beats a tasty little revenge film. Somebody done been wronged and must lay down the hand of righteous vengeance. From early classics like Winchester ‘73(1950) through the Death Wish series (1974-1994) and even more modern fare such as Machine Girl(2008) it’s all about righting wrongs. Well it just so happens those films never go out of style and this year’s Fantastic Fest had a few on display. One of the hard things about the festival is choosing the line-up of film showings you’ll be attending based on the small blurb and (maybe) the trailer because these films either haven’t come out yet or, in several sad cases, haven’t been picked up at all. Sweet Karma was one of those difficult films. With 70 titles this year and only 40 timeslots one had to be kinda choosy. Sweet Karma’s blurb sold me completely, “A mute Russian girl infiltrates Toronto’s underground sex trade to avenge the death of her sister ” – Gold – but that’s really all I knew. It was also scheduled up against some great stuff both showings, which made my choices even harder. I juked some stuff around and thanks to a timely screener just before the Fest I managed to work Sweet Karma in and I’m seriously glad I did because this is a solidly filmed, compulsively watchable piece of cinema.

Sweet Karma doesn’t stray too far from the blurb. Karma (Shera Bechard) is a shy, mute girl whose sister left Russia for the wilds of Canada to work for very good money as a maid. As time progresses no contact or money from her sister is forthcoming and Karma later discovers that her body is found in some woods on the outskirts of Toronto. Karma is understandably upset and determined to find out what happened…and dole out some serious justice on whomever it was that did the deed. She gets a job at the same maid service but slips out of the airport when it arrives in Canada and begins a game of detection, surveillance and information gathering, occasionally killing someone when she discovers their part in the nefarious scheme. The scheme is nefarious, too, as the bad guys import these women to be maids but upon arrival force them into a life of prostitution and sex clubs, where humiliation, degradation and fear quickly become their reality.

Inspired by the real life human trafficking rings that were shut down in Toronto in 2004-2008, director Andrew Thomas Hunt and company create a stark and gritty atmosphere that is so believable it draws you right into the film. The bad guys are genuinely despicable without going over the top but give the impression that the money and power over the girls is their driving force; this really aids the viewer empathy and enhances the power of the revenge sequences. The violence, also, is rather restrained for a film that is definitely paying homage to They Call Her One Eye(1974) but when it bursts open it’s raw, sloppy and utterly satisfying. Almost everything (except the cop) holds together real well and the filmmakers even threw in an interesting twist at the end, though it does raise some glaring questions about previous events in the film; yet for some strange reason I didn’t care as much as I normally would. The device of a mute girl navigating the seedy waters of the human sex trade was pulled off well enough for me to overlook quite a bit.

A word about Shera Bechard. I have read some criticism asserting that the reason the first time actress was given the role of a mute was because she couldn’t act. This is sheer foolishness. What Ms. Bechard was able to achieve through emotion, body language and expression alone was far more impressive and difficult than delivering some banal line before she jabbed someone in the neck with a ball-point pen and she succeeded mightily. When she felt emotional pain (or physical), or discovered yet another horrifying aspect to the human trafficking it was clearly visible in her every look and gesture. She manages to build tremendous empathy because she’s such an impressive acting talent and the audience is with her every step of the way. The script, in fact, is built around her inability to speak and how she uses that “handicap” to work her way through this sordid mess, discover the truth and get her revenge. Andrew Thomas Hunt had a lot of confidence in Ms. Bechard and it was well-placed; she truly shines in the role and totally delivers everything that is required of the character to drive the film forward. She was at the screening I attended and, after hearing her speak in the Q+A I can assure you there is nothing wrong with her voice either. She was also the deserved winner of the Fest’s Next Wave Award for Best Actress. Take that, critics! Ms. Bechard will have as much work in film as she wants for a long time to come.

Another word about Ms. Bechard, this one inescapable. Man, is she one of the best looking women in the world today! As this movie is set in the sex trade realm, she has plenty of opportunity to dress in skimpy outfits and has one of the hottest strip scenes ever put to celluloid. It’s almost as if she’s too hot for the film (quite a criticism, I know). My roommate pointed out that her (also alleged) boob-job kind of went against the whole idea of the “innocent, shy mute girl” persona that had been established. Kind of, “if you were raised without parents and had to depend on your sister being a maid for cash when did you find the time to get that done and how was that ever a top priority?” I counter with “who cares” and point out that she does such a good job portraying the character the fact she is so phenomenally good looking is just an added bonus (plus that scene is so amazing one should completely suspend disbelief and just fricking enjoy it for God’s sake!).

Sweet Karma, for being a modest-budgeted independent film, provides a eminently watchable, realistic tale of revenge that should be added to your must-view list. Excellent performances, led by Shera Bechard, carry this well-made picture but the style, setting and plot draw the viewer into a world of sleaze and corruption that, ultimately, becomes a little more bright by the dénouement. The execution is well-above average and coupled with the 1970’s grindhouse feel that is evoked will earn this a nice spot on my DVD shelf when it’s finally released. Kudos to Andrew Thomas Hunt and crew for turning out this stellar first film. Keep your eyes on these guys and expect big things in their futures.