Viewed – 26 November 2008  DVD

Ok, here’s the story – three girls on holiday in Mallorca meet four guys in a club and are soon invited to a luxury yacht.  Soon they are partying hard in the middle of the ocean away from prying eyes and the authorities.  Of course its not long before drink & drugs fuel their desires and all but two of the gang are off having sex in  the Captain’s quarters.  Then disaster strikes, and someone ends up dead from a freak accident (see the Donkey Punch of the title), and everyone turns against one another whilst struggling to come to terms with what has happened. 

Convincing performances from a talented cast of unknowns helped pull me in, and as things turned violent, I was there, along for the ride and wondering what would happen next.  This has already attracted plenty of controversy for its shocking premise, but in reality is no more shocking than much of today’s gory horror – although is a bit more believable, which is probably where the real shocks lie.  The only let down for me is that the film makers obviously didn’t know how to end this one, and it all gets a bit silly in the closing moments.  Saying that, this is still thrilling and well made, and remains a refreshing stab at a tired genre.

Verdict:  4 /5