Horror Hunks: Jesse Lavercombe in Violation

'A troubled woman on the edge of divorce returns home to her younger sister after years apart. But when her sister and brother-in-law betray her trust, she embarks on a vicious crusade of revenge.'

It's October, meaning it's time to bring out the hunks of horror!  FH viewers know I love featuring films, television shows and photo shoots with the heteronormative is flipped.  That's certainly the case with the horror and psychological drama Violation.   In the 2020 Canadian film, creator and writer Jesse Lavercombe plays Dylan, the brother-in-law who pays dearly, and violently, for his betrayal. 

'Violation is decidedly dark, potentially dangerous and probably deranged and  flips the revenge genre on its head.'

As a writer, Lavercombe is usually creating stories and characters, for film, and for musicals and plays.  With Violation, he's helps supporting the vision of two writers and directors.  I don't think it's a coincidence when you watch the scene, one of the writer and directors is a woman.  The scene is very graphic, turning an erotic encounter into something far more violent.

The scene also stands out as it's Lavercombe's Dylan who is both the victim, and focus of the nudity.  Yes, it's graphically violent, but it's so rare to see a male erection in a horror film, especially with directors who don't try to mask or hide the male penis through tricks, quick cuts or prosthetics.  As shocking as the scene is within the story itself, it also pushes the boundaries in a positive way with the role reversals.   

Audiences have sadly become almost numb to violence on their screens, and are also used to seeing naked, or almost naked women, running for their lives before being butchered by a killer.  This scene, still managed to shock through the direction, the writing, and the incredible acting.  The film won three of the most prestigious awards for Independent films, at Sundance, TIFF (Toronto International film festival and the NYTimes Critics’ Pick .  For his role as Dylan, Lavercombe won the Toronto ACTRA Award as well as being nominated for a Canadian Screen Award .