I Spit On Your Grave, or Day of the Woman, remains one of the most controversial horror movies ever made. Critics hated it, censors banned it. Make no mistake about it, director Meir Zarchi’s rape-revenge exploitation flick is ridiculously violent. Though Zarchi would claim it’s a feminist cry to power, the movie’s nearly 30-minute gang rape feels completely unnecessary and misogynistic. But that didn’t stop a remake from surfacing in 2010, followed by two straight-to-video sequels. Now 40 years later, Zarchi has made a direct sequel to his 1978 original.

Synopsis

Forty years after her harrowing experience, Jennifer Hills is now a best-selling author. The justice system acquitted her of all charges in her brutal revenge spree. Now she offers hope to other survivors. But her past refuses to stay buried. After a brunch with her supermodel daughter, Christy, family members of the men she murdered kidnap mother and daughter. Prepare for the cycle of vengeance to continue.

Deja Vu Goes On and On and On

Spoiler alert – I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu is a really, really bad movie. There are so many things wrong. Chief among its problems is the movie’s bloated length. Aliens is 2 hours and 17 minutes. The Exorcist is just over two hours. Get Out clocks in at 1 hour and 44 minutes. Comparatively, I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu is 2 hours and 28 minutes! Yes, you read that right. Keep in mind, this is a very belated, low-budget sequel to a lurid 70’s exploitation movie. No argument could be made to justify its length.

If you cut an hour out of the movie you might have something remotely resembling a suspenseful thriller except …

As a result, what you get are a bunch of scenes that drag long past their expiration date. The movie’s opening brunch with mother and daughter, for instance, crawls for almost 15 minutes. Other scenes just serve no purpose. And to make matters worse, those pointless scenes are needlessly drawn out. Whether the movie’s length reflects a lack of craftsmanship or some misguided notion about what was in the story is open to debate. If you cut an hour out of the movie you might have something remotely resembling a suspenseful thriller except …

I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu Is Poorly Made in All Regards

Director Meir Zarchi has only made three movies in the last 40 years, including Deja Vu. Even if you liked the original I Spit On Your Grave, you’d be hardpressed to convince many people that it’s a well-made movie. That movie’s infamy largely stems from its unrelenting scenes of vile cruelty. And Zarchi reminds of his original’s ugliness with flashbacks during the opening credits. If that’s what you expect from the sequel, prepare to be disappointed. What you’ll get in place is a scene where a demented woman wearing an army helmet drives an ATV through a cemetery.

Simply put, I Spit on Your Grave Deja Vu is a dull and ugly-looking movie. Zarchi isn’t able to evoke the slightest amount of suspense or tension. Scenes that should elicit discomfort either just feel tasteless or watered down by dragging on endlessly. There’s no signs of any type of craftsmanship in how anything is filmed. Love it or hate it, the 2010 remake fashioned its vengeance after the stylish ‘Torture Porn’ subgenre. That movie knew how to get mileage out of its garish revenge scenes. Everything about Deja Vu is underwhelming.

Wild Caricatures and Wilder Performances

I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu takes us back to the original small town. It’s a place that’s solely populated by family members of Jennifer Hills’ murdered assaulters. Oh, and there’s also a priest who just sits at an organ in a locked church. Don’t ask. As for Zarchi’s villains, they’re bizarre caricatures of southern hillbillies that would put Rob Zombie to shame. If you take the poorly written characters along with the over-the-top performances, what you get are cartoonish antagonists. Unfortunately, Deja Vu takes itself too seriously to laugh at, but its villains are too goofy to menace.

…Deja Vu takes itself too seriously to laugh at, but its villains are too good to menace.

Though Camille Keaton is back as Jennifer Hills, she looks either bored or tired. Perhaps the only cast member to escape relatively unscathed is Jamie Bernadette, as Christy Hills. A ‘Scream Queen’ in the making, Bernadette previously appeared in the fun 4/20 Massacre and the mixed The Sixth Friend. In Deja Vu, Bernadette offers at least a more grounded performance.

A Vile, Poorly Crafted Mess

Hands down, I Spit On Your Grave Deja Vu is the worst movie I’ve reviewed or this site. In fact, it may be one of the worst movies I have watched. This is a nonsensically bad movie. Unnecessary, boring, at least an hour too long, devoid of any filmmaking style – I could go on and on. Honestly, I have no clue how this movie made it out of an editing room. This is a pointless sequel that never had any reason to exist and does nothing to convince you otherwise.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: F