Film: Lucky Bastard

Starring: Don McManus, Jay Paulson, Betsy Rue

Director: Robert Nathan

Writers: Lukas Kendall, Robert Nathan

It is a safe bet that if you ask any guy, he will admit to having a favorite porn star at some point in his life. Whether it is a certain model from a certain issue of a magazine (which is essentially a monthly website on paper) or a star from a particular website, there is always some girl that a guy fondly remembers from his…ahem…self-exploration years. In line with this, most guys have also fantasized about getting to spend a night with said girl. The reality of hooking up with a porn star may be less than desirable, but the idea of it is the inspiration for Lucky Bastard, and that idea elevates the movie from run of the mill found footage horror to a new and disturbing place.

The first thing you need to know about Lucky Bastard is that it is a hard NC-17. The plot revolves around making amateur porn so there is plenty of on screen nudity, sex, and very graphic language. This might not be one you want to watch with a significant other on Valentine’s Day, unless you guys are into that kind of thing (no judgement here).

Basically, Lucky Bastard is about a small porn website called ‘Lucky Bastard’ where they give their subscribers a chance to bang their favorite porn star. Usually the guys ejaculate too early or chicken out, so most of the videos are made to exploit the men for laughs. But when one guy chosen starts acting a little…off…it soon becomes clear that this porn shoot may become a snuff film.

Lucky Bastard is obviously a low budget movie. The acting is about what you would expect from this kind of movie. The dialogue sounds about as real and smooth as what you have heard in actual low budget porn, which almost fits in with the whole set-up of the movie perfectly. It is not like you went into a movie like this expecting Oscar-worthy performances anyway and there is plenty of entertainment value in Lucky Bastard regardless of these flaws.

Unsettling and unique, Lucky Bastard is not like anything you have seen before. The first fifteen minutes or so may have you not wanting to watch the rest of the film but the payoff in the end is well worth it. Seeing the porn shoot slowly go from normal to something much more sinister is paced perfectly throughout the movie, filling the 90-minute runtime with enough plot and tension to never be boring. The contrasting sex and violence may seem like a gimmick at first glance but it really makes you think about what could go on behind the scenes of one of the biggest money making industries in the world.

Lucky Bastard is definitely not for the faint of heart or those who find porn disgusting. If you can embrace the premise and do not mind seeing a few cocks along the way, it is well worth the watch despite the obvious low budget shortcomings.