VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Harley Quinn There aren't many films that have turned me away completely. AU Penance was a first for me. I have never had to take a break from a film before or after this one. The August Underground films each have their "breath of fresh air" scenes in between - or even during - the more disturbing blood/vomit drenched scenes. Penance was different. Where it seems most people think that Mordum was the most disturbing in the trilogy, Penance went to a completely different level of grit and darkness. The breaths that this film took weren't enough to have strong enough laugh at to set you at ease or even kind of take you out of the disgust that was taking place. At one point, I had to stop the film and spend half an hour away from it to relax before I could finish. As the credits rolled, I sat in silence just staring at the screen unsure of how exactly I should feel. Easily the most difficult film to sit through, and easily one of my favorite films because of it. Fred Vogel and his team did an incredible job.

Rattler2000 Penance is the third and final film of the August Underground trilogy.If you have seen the first 2 you will know of the grainy, amateur camera work used. This time it seems the killers have bought a new camcorder. The picture is much better quality but still amateur like making you believe that this is for real.Again, it's very gory and disturbing for some but doesn't have quite the intensity of some of the extreme scenes in Mordum. Still it's a class act and Fred Vogul has done yet another great job both directing and acting. The effects are fantastic and it's certainly pushing the boundaries again although not as much as Mordum.Not for everyone but a very good view for gore hounds.

Rod Reguez So what's the message in Penance then? A guy brutally murders people because he hates himself? Well f**k me what a revelation! This bombshell aside, there appears, not surprisingly to be no valid reason whatsoever for this incredibly crapulent and nauseous creation. If it's purely infamy Vogel's looking for he's gone about it the right way, but hey Vogel, why not surprise people and at least try to make something remotely intelligent, then you can throw in as much filth and degradation as you like and still get taken seriously? The thing is, Vogel doesn't have the minerals to create anything of any quality or depth, and Penance is a hollow exercise in pushing the boundaries of what is watchable. It's utterly devoid of any subtext whatsoever.Ironically the only thought provoking element in this film is Fred Vogel himself, who co-writes, directs, produces?, and stars. In much the same way as Argento used to perform the stabbings himself in many of his films, Vogel has a vested personal interest in the violence displayed here. Writing, directing and playing the central character seems to be giving Vogel the closest experience possible to fulfilling his ultimate fantasy without actually having to get arrested, although one could argue that even the inclusion of such a young girl in the filming of this offal is worthy of a stern ticking off. Has she seen it yet? I wonder. Charming. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a lover of extreme violence in cinema when it is in context. Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer, Man Bites Dog, Peeping Tom - these are all violent films - Henry especially, but they also deal with serious themes such as alienation, voyeurism, the boundaries between audience and spectator, and in particular, audience complicity. Vogel's film, on the other hand is designed purely to shock and/or titillate. The only comforting thought one should be drawing from this experience is that you're not turned on by imagining yourself sexually and violently abducting people. If you are, then perhaps you should be applying for a job at Toetag films. In Penance, Vogel seems, more than anything to be exploring his own psyche - his own capacity for the kind of behaviour he's mimicking, and it really does look like he's ready to take the plunge.Beware Vogel - when you're staring into the abyss, the abyss is staring back at you!

z-murder The wait is finally over. No longer will you have to suffice the agonizing torture of a screenshot or teaser trailer. The long awaited arrival of Toe Tag Pictures third entry into the August Underground series, Penance, is finally here, and was well worth every minute.The story picks up with Vogel and While's characters documenting their violent, savage acts on home video as they tantalize, humiliate and force their victims into submission. Through the midst of vicious rape and torture are shots of the two hanging out and goofing off just as any home video would show, adding a certain realism to the film.August Underground's Penance combines the dark realism of August Underground with the extremeness of Mordum to make for the strongest entry in the series. As the film descends, so does the collapse and downward spiral of the two killers. At the start of the film, they appear larger than life, goofing off in front of the camera and acting as kids would. By the end of the film, both characters are in tears, hardly standing the sight of each other through their on going battle of bickering and fighting. Vogel's character becomes more and more enraged with each one of his victims and starts drinking heavily, eventually drinking himself into a state of malady. On the other hand, While's character begins to deteriorate, as she slowly comes to the realization of the atrocities in which they are committing; she starts to break down emotionally and physically.The term "Penance," which also serves as the central theme in the film, refers to, "punishment or suffering undergone voluntarily to atone for sin or wrong doing," and can be seen in the last few minutes of the film where the characters, primarily While's, undergo a dramatic change in mentality. As with the other August Underground films, what happens in the final scene is left open-ended and requires viewer interpretation.Penance, hands down, contained the best acting the series has seen yet with a strong focus on Vogel and While's brilliant performances. Aside from playing the parts of psychotic killers, at certain times in the film their inner child comes out, which in ways, brings a sense of normalcy to their characters but also makes for some of the most disturbing aspects. The complexity of these two characters can be overwhelming at times as they often drift in and out of various mood swings.With a much bigger body count than the two prior films, Penance made for some sick special effects, courtesy of f/x wizard Jerami Cruise. With decapitations, multiple guttings, limb severings and a gruesome c-section, it is sure to have even the most jaded horror fans squirming in their seats. If you thought the other films were sick, just wait until you feast your eyes on this one. Cruise pays extra close attention to detail and delivers his best effects yet.In the August Underground series, Toe Tag Pictures takes horror, shits on it, and portrays it for what it truly is without glorifying the actions. These films show the harsh reality of what really happens in the world, where murder and torture happens daily, and takes the viewer beyond scary into a world of true, bloody horror, straight to the point and without any bullshit. So much talent lies amongst Toe Tag Pictures that assure only great things to come from them.