7 Days (2010) User Reviews

Not what you might expect but very profound

[kluseba · 7/10 · 17 October 2010]

This movie is a very intense psychological thriller filmed in very grey and depressive images and words that create a perfect atmosphere for this doom slow paced movie. The movie seems to be a simple vengeance story, but it goes far beyond this. Let me warn you first: There are not many torture scenes in this movie, so if you expect some gore stuff here, you may not be satisfied at all in the end. The title and trailer could be somehow misleading.

The film has in fact a very philosophical touch and questions about the sense of life and death as well as vengeance or forgiveness. The movie shows how difficult such topics are and has almost some documentary influences as it shows the reactions of the society, the police, the victim's families. But there are also metaphoric elements in this movie like the scenes with the dead deer body that represents the dead body of the raped and killed daughter that lead us slowly towards a melancholic end that many find unsatisfying but which fits perfectly to the whole atmosphere and intention of the movie. The story is surprisingly realistic. All those points I really like about this great Quebecker movie.

What I rather dislike is that there is something like a highlight missing. When the father has kidnapped the murderer of his daughter and the police is looking for him, you expect that the tension and action raises, that each character's profoundness may be developed and that there are some disturbing twists but nothing happens at all. The movie concentrates on the profoundness of the main character but I think that the characters of the murderer, the police officer or the kidnapper's wife could have been more developed. The movie also concentrates too much on the logical follow-up of the story and the tension goes really down at some point in the movie as there are no real surprises or turning points like in the heavier and more disturbing shocker "5150 on Elm Street", a movie based on the novel by the same author as this one. This movie's strength is its depressive atmosphere and the main actor's brilliant acting but it has too much of a one man show.

If you are looking for an alternative depressive psycho thriller with some philosophical elements, I highly recommend this movie for you. But if you are looking for a bloody shocker with a twisted ending, just forget about it.

Hmmm

[laurajanedaniels · 7/10 · 2 August 2012]

I base myself on the fact that i've viewed a lot of horror films and psychological thrillers and the like, this is unlike any i have seen although i did watch a trailer on the DVD when it loaded about a little boy thats abducted and killed and the parents the father being a doctor get revenge 'the torture' although i haven't seen said film yet I'm kinda thinking its gonna be the same thing..

I like the fact there is no soundtrack to this film, i really get a sense of the parents pain and I'm pretty sure if someone did that to my daughter i wouldn't be responsible for my actions either.

Its graphic yet moving and the actors played the roles well.. Honestly cannot complain

What would you do?

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 5 October 2013]

When police arrest a man for the rape and murder of Dr. Bruno Hamel's 8-year old daughter, the distraught father (a strong performance from Claude Legault) seeks revenge, kidnapping the suspect and subjecting him to a week of unimaginable suffering while the police desperately attempt to track them down.

Revenge is sweet, as the saying goes, but 7 Days challenges this notion: after inflicting untold pain and suffering on his victim, Bruno doesn't feel any better—he is just as empty inside, his grief no less severe than before, his anger unabated. The film questions whether, despite our understandable wish to severely punish the human garbage who commit such evil crimes, revenge might not be the wisest route to take.

Superb performances, tight direction from Daniel Grou, and some truly disturbing imagery make this film hard to ignore, but it is its highly debatable central theme—to torture or not to torture— that makes 7 Days a more powerful viewing experience than many of the 'torture' films that we've had to endure post-Saw.

I'll help you find the real killer.

[lastliberal-853-253708 · 7/10 · 31 March 2012]

Director Daniel Grou shows that he has much promise. First, a film without music is rare, and in this case was perfect. Secondly, the action, while graphic, moves smoothly. It is a story, a film, that you will remember seeing.

The film begins with an unforgivable crime—the rape and murder of a 8- year-old girl by a convicted sex offender. Her father, a wealthy surgeon (Claude Legault), chains the alleged killer in a secluded dungeon, savoring his captive's (Rémy Girard) slow torture.

The doctor, dismissing all he previously stood for, is torn by guilt as he proceeds. It is an excellent chance to reflect on the desirability of revenge. His last statement really drove that home.

Good revenge thriller

[billcr12 · 7/10 · 4 May 2012]

Revenge is sweet in 7 Days, a Canadian torture thriller in French when a surgeon's daughter is abducted, raped and killed by a low life criminal named Anthony. The good doctor, Bruno, captures the "suspect" and takes him to an isolated cabin in the woods: and let the games begin for seven days of extreme and inventive pay back.

Bruno calls the police that at the end of one week, he is going kill Anthony after inflicting as much pain as possible, however, the psychopath adapts to his situation and mocks his host for not seeming to enjoy the suffering of his hostage. Tony admits to the murder of the doctors girl, in addition to three others.

Meanwhile, a detective furiously searches for the cabin to stop the execution. This leads to an interesting conclusion; and you will have to decide if justice is served.

7 Days

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 4 October 2010]

How often have you fantasized about torturing a pedophile rapist? The idea that you could personally slowly destroy a perverse sadistic cretin who sexually assaults and kills little girls. We consider ourselves civilized but, as Wes Craven believes, we all have a little darkness within and could tap into that in order to inflict suffering on someone who represents what pure evil truly epitomizes. A surgeon, Bruno Hamel(Claude Legault), a gentle soul, loses his daughter when she is kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a sicko named Lemaire, with a history of attacking female children. Hamel, over a seven day period, tortures the rapist, as the police attempt to find him before he kills the man. Hervé Mercure(Rémy Girard), who is haunted by the murder of his wife, shot dead by a thief in a grocery for 58 bucks, tries to reason with Hamel, hoping to keep him from committing something foolish. Martin Dubrieuil is Anthony Lemaire, the repulsive scumbag who receives his fair share of punishment during the movie such as a smashed kneecap(via sledgehammer), castration(not shown), chain whipping(which opens all kinds of gruesome wounds), and even a grisly surgical procedure which has him defecating from his stomach. The torture itself happens in intervals as Hamel takes time out contemplating about the loss of his beloved child, dealing with intense grief and coming to grips with the rage and sorrow, returning to his victim to release pent up emotions, boozing as to make his job easier to handle. The question we must ask ourselves is, "Is Hamel justified in his activities? Or, is he as worse, if not more so, than the subject of his madness?" I think we can sympathize with Hamel and understand what fuels his revenge, even if we may not be able to condone it. At any rate, director Daniel Grou has a movie which can push buttons and the subject matter provides food for thought..are we willing to go to the lower depths if we have the person responsible for the rape and murder of our own flesh and blood ripe for the pickings? Ultimately, Hamel will prolong Lemaire's life so that he can endure anguish and agony while struggling with the temptation to end him once and for all..the film asks if such torture and murder will remove the pain which plagues Hamel. Probably the most chilling scenes involve Hamel kidnapping the mother of a girl Lemaire killed(she confesses that she has moved on and doesn't agree with Hamel's torturous methods, this raising his ire)and Lemaire talking about Hamel's daughter(how she was the prettiest, crying out for her father to save her). In the instance of the woman Hamel kidnaps, he has her confront the man who took her daughter(he feels she should never forget the person who done such horrific things to her child, closure or no, he should not get off that easy), placing her in the torture room to view his ravaged and chained body lying in a pile on the floor. I have to hand it to Dubrieuil, he spends almost the entire running time naked and abused, even if he portrays the most vile kind of monster, the actor himself has to tolerate a lot, it's a demanding role.

This is what "Prisoners" should have been

[redrobin62-321-207311 · 7/10 · 19 December 2016]

"Prisoners" with Hugh Jackman was a good revenge film. However, because it was a Hollywood production, we never got to see Paul Dano graphic beating, just the aftermath. In 7 Days, you're not spared the brutality; it's right in your face. Yes, you need a strong stomach to handle it. Also, if you are turned off by male nudity, this movie isn't for you. When it comes to "7 Days", it is what it is. There really is no resolution; just a slice of life with no music score. Recommended, though.

I question the pacing of the film, though. It can be pretty lethargic in spots. That's pretty much what my complaint was with "Martyrs." I couldn't help thinking that the director wanted to fill the audience with the same kind of ennui anyone who was kidnapped will face. Yes, we get it. Revenge doesn't happen at 100 MPH.

The acting was spot on in this film. The atmosphere created was tense as hell. The father's brutality seemed over the top, but I guess it is what it is. I'd say the film is worth seeing if it could be re-edited for a faster pace.

Brutal Revenge Drama

[CinemaPat · 8/10 · 29 October 2010]

"Does knowing your wife's murderer is behind bars make life any more bearable?"

"7 Days" is a powerful and brutal film about a happily married surgeon who as a result of the rape and murder of his daughter falls into a dark obsession with revenge. WARNING: this movie is VERY graphic and not for the easily offended or people with a weak stomach. "7 Days" deals with a very difficult subject matter and does not hold back.

Claude Legault (Bruno) and Rémy Girard (Hervé) did an incredible job with the acting. Fanny Mallette (Sylvia) also did wonderfully, though I would have liked to have seen more of her throughout the movie. I found myself wondering why the director did not feature more of the mother's struggle. There is one scene in particular that showcases the raw talent Legault and Mallette have. It was a tour de force of brilliant acting.

However, the movie is not without it's faults. One of the more interesting decisions made by the director was to not include a musical soundtrack. This worked I think in favor of the atmosphere but there could have been some fill in music at times. It seemed like the director was trying to fill holes in the story a bit too hard. There were a couple of things that didn't make much sense to do and the ending left a little to be desired.

"7 Days" may not be the cream of the crop of revenge flicks, but it does succeed where others fail. It is such a harrowing subject matter and is shot in such a realistic way that you are forced to have an emotional response, whether you like it or not. There are some powerful visuals that will stay with you for days, possibly months after.

Brutal revenge for horror fans

[willians_franco · 7/10 · 15 August 2020]

GOOD. Brutal thriller/horror on the topic of revenge that aims to cause agony, discomfort, amazement, and perplexity in the audience. It has striking, agonizing, disturbing, and even explicit scenes of nudity and torture. I classify it more as horror than a thriller. Don't watch it if you don't have the stomach for horror films like this. The feeling it gives you is to want the plot to end soon to get rid of the agony. The film has several flaws in logic and some of the situations created by the screenwriter were counter-census forged just merely to support the plot. And that detracted from its quality. However, I give it a high rating because of the objectives already outlined which I identify as fully accomplished. I recommend it.

Very intense and disturbing but got a very serious flaw from the very beginning

[rightwingisevil · 28 June 2011]

How could it possible the parents would allow their underage young daughter to walk out alone to pass around her invitations. Both of the parents, especially the mom, got nothing to do in that specific morning, even the surgeon father was just off a major surgery from the hospital, but still.... Under any normal condition or premise, the girl's mom should accompany her to send out the invitations, that's a common duty of a mother with a elementary school daughter. Then again, we didn't see the daughter leave home with her school backpack or whatever, but then a boy in the same class and same school, returned her satchel to her parents, claiming she didn't attend the school. This two incidents were obviously an unexplainable overlook or careless draft of the screenplay that could and should be corrected by the director from the very beginning. But if without these two stupid arrangements, then the storyline of the scenario simply could be developed to the next level.

By the way, the special effect of the torture scenes are grossly superb and stunning.

Disappointing!

[mdnobles19 · 5/10 · 24 January 2010]

Man this was a very depressing, grim, brutal and a very hard watch that will stir your emotions. I thought this dark drama had solid acting and a powerful message but it had a sluggish pace and I didn't agree with the main character's actions to advenge his daughters rape and murder and it's not one of those revenge thrillers that you root for the guy getting revenge, I pretty much felt sorry for both of them. It makes you think what would you do in that situation, what actions would you take if that happened to your child? In the end I can't find anything that I really liked about this film, it just was way too bleak for me and it really didn't bring anything new to this genre and it just brings your mood down big time. Overall there is some torture scenes in this movie that is not for the squeamish but it focuses more on the characters and how they deal with the crime than being that type of film, again more of a drama and judging from some early reviews it's overrated and nothing I will recommend or would want to see again, your're not missing out on anything amazing. DEPRESSING STUFF!!! More of a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Very disturbing

[JeremyAR · 8/10 · 6 February 2010]

This movie is very disturbing, and I am used to violence in movies. In fact, it is not the violence that disturbed me, but rather the very, very tense atmosphere charged with various emotions. It feels so heavy, I am still uneasy, an hour and a half after watching it. Those who have watched Saw or Hostel will find the violence bearable, but this is not a gore movie like these two franchises; it is a psychological film. I believe that knowing these actors very well (not personally) made me biased towards this movie. I am convinced that if the movie would have featured different actors, or perhaps if it wasn't Québécois, I wouldn't be as troubled as I am right now. It is a weird feeling that I cannot really explain.

The movie itself is very well done, technically and artistically. Daniel Grou's direction is near perfect for that kind of movie, expect maybe a few shots which, in my opinion, were unnecessary. The movie has no soundtrack at all; long stills of the character(s) in silence help getting in the mood, help understanding, if that's possible. Which brings me to this point: this is a rather slow movie. It reminds me in many ways of Asian cinema, particularly (some) Japanese movies (maybe Yasujiro Ozu). There is minimal dialogue, but well delivered by the actors and I have to give a mention to Martin Dubreuil, who played Anthony Lemaire. I didn't know him before this movie and he delivers a terribly solid performance here. Claude Legault is also excellent.

All in all, this is a great film. There is one thing I recommend though; do not see this in the theatre, because of the damned food and plastic bags noises. The silences in this movie need to be respected and it is very annoying when you hear someone talk during this movie, even more so because there's no music. Rent it or buy the DVD (Blu-ray?).

This is my first review, I hope it makes sense.

Not Bad, but not great either

[blackledgec · 6/10 · 3 October 2010]

As far as revenge films go, this one is quite good. However it's not brilliant. As with a lot of films with an "out for revenge" plot line. It doesn't stir up the anger that a story of this kind should. The father daughter relationship exposure is incredibly minimal, which to me, defeats the whole point of the story. Because of this, I was left quite desensitised to the main character's quest for revenge. Not even the smugness of the killer leaving court or the scene where they find his daughter's dead body was enough to stir up any amount of anger to approve of what happens next.

Sure I was on the main character's side, but the beginning was not enough for me to will his actions or even justify them. This in turn left me feeling a bit too much of an observer, given the seriousness of the subject matter of this film. By the end of it, the main character to me might as well have been jigsaw, which is a shame, as it clearly isn't meant to come across as such.

Very, very, very disturbing.

[skypilot-37323 · 5/10 · 3 October 2021]

I could only give this movie a 5 out of 10 because my conscience is wrestling with my appreciation. On the one hand, I would only give this move a 10 for acting and direction, however, my judgement would only give it a 1 if it requires a sick, disgusting movie to ignite peoples sense of morality.

Never in my life have I seen such a disturbing movie. This is a messed up script and an unsettling statement about the nature of humanity. In the very first scene, I was so disturbed that my head was spinning. I thought her corpse looked extremely realistic. Then, the torture scenes were more than I could handle. I shut this movie off after only 45 minutes. What kind of monsters are we that we feel we need to make such things?

To all the men out there who are so angry that they say they would do the same thing if ever this happened to their daughter, I say, be careful. As the truth states, "The things we dislike most in others are the characteristics we like least in ourselves." Men hate immoral sexual acts, because deep down, they know they have the capability of doing the same things. Hating on other men is just a manifestation of hating themselves. Both immoral sexual acts and extreme violence (as retribution) are totally unacceptable. I hope that this movie makes that clear to everyone.

quiet brutality

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 16 October 2015]

Surgeon Bruno Hamel lives an ordinary suburban life with his wife and daughter Jasmine. Jasmine goes missing and then found brutally raped and murdered. Anthony Lemaire is arrested with undeniable evidence. Bruno drugs the prison transport driver and kidnaps Lemaire. He promises police detective Mercure that he will kill Lemaire in 7 days on Jasmine's birthday. Mercure himself had lost his wife in a convenient store shooting.

There is a quiet brutality about torture but the characters are a little too quiet about it. His inner conflict actually bugged me a little. The villain is an absolute villain. If there is more doubt, it would have made Bruno's hesitation more understandable. I like the other mother character. Overall, the movie has very little tension and it could have been more intense with a few changes.

A father's revenge

[saraccan · 7/10 · 16 November 2018]

It's a tense and disturbing film all the way through. I really liked how there's no music in the entire movie. It adds more realism just hearing what's happening at that moment. The coloring and cinematography really helps set that dark mood.

After his young daughter gets raped and killed, a father sets out to revenge her.

Nothing like the book

[FF_Beaner · 6/10 · 19 March 2011]

I read the book before watching the movie. Les sept jours du Talion by Pat. Senecal was way better then the movie. Major element were not put in the movie. The deer thing was originally a dog always crying making Bruno Hamel go insane and yelling at the forest. The movie also forgot to show how crazy and mad bruno hamel turned. we didn't saw him driving drunk and almost crashing in cars. The story seemed incomplete since it lacked on explanation of why he turned like he was in the end. They really rushed the part were he organized the kidnapping of Lemaire, which in the book was methodical and complex that we saw he had turned cold and silent. For the actor part, Marc legault did a really good work, we really felt his anger and his pain. Other then that, not many actor seemed to emerge from the movie. The wife was also left apart of the story, making the movie miss another important thing from the book.

In the end, it wasn't as good as 5150 rue des ormes, another book/movie from senecal, but it was worth watching it.

Well made and disturbing but to what end?

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 4 September 2010]

A man's daughter is kidnapped raped and murdered by a maniac. When the maniac is caught, the man kidnaps him while he is being transported to court and leaves a note saying he will torture the man for seven days, then kill him before turning himself in.

Realistic look at revenge is a disturbing entry in the torture porn genre. I'm torn if it belongs there but the fact that I was left feeling "Yes and?" at the end and unsure of what the point was made me drop it into the torture porn arena. I know the film has higher aspirations but thats where I'd put it.

Its good tense and unpleasant but I don't know what its all for.

What every Father says he would like to do.

[ElijahCSkuggs · 9/10 · 29 July 2010]

Just like in the recent Australian revenge thriller The Horseman, we have another Father who's snapped and is now taking matters into his own hands on account of his little girl's demise. Where that film brought a more in your face, action oriented style, 7 Days bring you a more heady approach that focuses on despair, grief and self-conflict. But that's not to say this one, on any level, is less brutal.

As I hinted at, 7 Days is a story of a Father's vengeance for his 8 year old daughter that was raped and murdered. He masterminds a plan to get the perpetrator alone for 7 Days so he can quell his own flooding emotions. It's a simple story that people across the board can relate to, but only a select few would ever try to tackle; and it shows, as this is no joy-ride for the Father, and his actions against his daughter's killer are eating him up inside.

7 Days is an engrossing film; with it's bleak and unforgiving style, it captured me right from the get go, and didn't let loose until the final scene. And at it's core were the performances by the actors involved, who all did stand-out jobs. But I have to really commend the man who played the murderer, Martin Dubreuil. He did an amazing job as a man going through a smörgåsbord of pain and mental battles. One scene in particular, where himself and our lead (Claude Legault) had a face to face; it literally had my breath at a stand-still.

I was not expecting to enjoy this film as much I did. I'm super hit or miss with any film that has torture in it; as I think most people are. I feel like I've seen every single one as well; from the mainstream Hostels to the cheap and ugly, Scrapbook, to the overly ridiculous and vile, The Butcher. And as a whole, the sub-genre is pretty weak. But when torture is used as a secondary outfit in a movie, instead of the go to ploy, then I feel, there's hope for the sub-genre. This movie first and foremost delivers a story that thrusts you into the Father's shoes, and urges you to relate through either simple but affective symbolism, affective and violent outbursts, or scenes of pain-staking solitude. And also adding in a sub-plot with a hardened but sensitive detective that's trying to stop our protagonist, the film only intensifies.

7 Days is a graphic, intimate and emotional film that tells the story of questionable actions from the side you're supposed to be caring for. As the man descends deeper into vengeance he'll quickly reach a fine line that may be impossible to turn back from. You take this journey with him, not knowing which way he'll go.

disturbing psychological thriller

[mrcibubur · 6/10 · 7 August 2010]

this is indeed one of the most disturbing psychological thrillers which I have recently seen. I can wholly empathise with Bruno the young man in the movie whose daughter has been murdered and his wishfulness for revenge to the killer.

there are several films of this genre I wish to mention. In Unthinkable, for different reasons completely, Samuel L Jackson is pushed to limits in torture of the detainee. Torture is the theme in this film to which I refer. Same can be said of 2003 film Teresia which was also in the French language. The Brazilian transsexual detainee was also subjected to extreme torture. whether torture can be distinguished from unjustified violence in movies of this kind I am not sure.

I enjoyed'seven days' and followed the sub titles throughout for English translation. yes the storyline was hollow at times and the parts of the wife and the lead detective were both crying out for character expansion. I would also express my disappointment at the ending but was there any other possible? Yes there were some scenes which were overdone.

I watched the film because oddly I like movies in the French language and the storyline from the DVD cover appealed to me. It is certainly not a horror movie but a disturbing psychological thriller. If a paedophile kills a child, any child, he is bound to be a victim of society and be potentially pursued for revenge by a righteous parent.

Remember also Gerard Butlers character in Law Abiding Citizen and you know what I mean.

Kind of boring ... probably its only me. You should give it a try tho, maybe youll love it.

[ZeroCoolRO · 2/10 · 7 September 2021]

As I see lots of you loved this movie, but I found it very boring and pretty awful ... really I barely stayed awake to watch it. Is way too static and lost me from second one. Probably its me, and im stupid and dont get it.. but was awful, I DONT KNOW IF NOT TO RECOMMEND IT OR TO LET YOU WATCH IT AND TELL US AFTER IF YOU LIKED IT OR NOT.

Relentlessly grim and savagely effective revenger.

[Corpus_Vile · 8/10 · 5 October 2010]

Dr Bruno Hamel (Claude Legault) is a devoted husband and father, who is struck with every parent's worst nightmare, when his eight year old daughter is brutally raped and murdered. The police soon catch the killer, 31 year old paedophile Anthony Lemaire (a nicely underplayed performance from Martin Dubreuil) and have him awaiting trial. However, the good doctor realizes that Lemaire will be out in around 15-25 years, and will still have plenty of years left as a free man. This is unacceptable. Hamel therefore resolves to kidnap the killer, take him away to a nice secluded spot, and systematically torture him for seven days, culminating in his execution, on what would have been his daughter's birthday. The only problem is, that Hamel is no Charles Bronson here. He's a normal everyman, just like you and me. Torturing somebody is easy in revenge driven fantastical concept, but in reality, it's consuming Hamel, and killing him inside. Will he give the paedophile his just deserts? Or will he realize his actions, and hand himself in?

7 Days is not your usual ra-ra-revenge flick and is head and shoulders above the usual torture themed flicks one tends to usually see. Dark, bleak and relentlessly grim, with some brutal torture sequences, it's certainly not for everyone. Yet it's also a study in loss and grief, and offers no easy answers to the viewer. Rather than glorify its revenge, it simply puts you, the viewer in Hamel's position and asks you what you'd REALLY do, and how you'd really feel, as in you, the ordinary law abiding person, if faced with such a scenario. This is highlighted via a scene where it turns out that Le Maire has other victims, and an enraged Hamel watches the news, to see one victim's mother, who dissents from the other parent's "make him suffer" stance, and asks for mercy, which forces you to ask if Hamel is justified here, despite the loathsome status of his victim.

Shot in a bleached washed out manner, and taking its time to tell its tale, it's not a film that can be ticked via genre boxes, and concludes in a rather unexpected, yet believable manner.

A highly recommended film, that's well worth checking out.

OK, but not great

[grantss · 6/10 · 29 July 2020]

OK, but not great, vengeance movie. For the most part a vigilante movie, but better than most in that category as it contains human drama too.

This said, it is not as suspenseful as it could be - mostly drifts from one scene to another. Ending is rather anti-climactic.

Waste of time

[gumbico · 1/10 · 16 October 2010]

Not sure what the heck these other reviews are raving about. Most pathetic revenge flick ever. Watching a kid try to fry an ant with a magnifying glass is more disturbing than this movie. The father spends more time destroying furniture and yapping on the phone than exacting any sort of revenge on the pedophile. I kept waiting and waiting for the action to start, but it never started! Next thing I knew, the movie was over.

I was hoping for something along the lines of Man On Fire, but this was a snore fest. It was not disturbing and nor was it realistic at all. The summary of the movie is this in a nutshell, "A father captures his daughter's killer/rapist and then doesn't know what to do next." Doesn't sound like a great revenge flick, and if I had known this from the beginning, I wouldn't have wasted my time.

Is Revenge the only true Justice?

[PhantomAgony · 26 January 2011]

Is revenge the only real justice when someone you love is killed at the hands of another?

That is the question that '7 Days' asks and in a way lets the audience answer as they watch a Father (Claude Legault) get revenge on his daughter's killer (Martin Dubreuil).

Jasmine Hamel, an 8 year old girl, left her home to pass out invitations door to door for her upcoming birthday party on her way to school. She wanted her Father, Bruno - a Doctor - to accompany her but after just coming home after his shift at the hospital, was too tired. Her Mother (Fanny Mallette) offered to go but Jasmine wanted her Father or no one...so she left alone. Jasmine never made it to school and after a frantic search of the surrounding area, her lifeless body was found. She had been raped and murdered. Grief and blame immediately set in for her parents, especially Bruno who opted not to join his daughter on her walk. A message was also sent from the school about Jasmine's absence which Bruno never received until it was too late. He only learned about his daughter missing from a school friend who arrived to drop off her homework. What if he'd heard the message earlier? Would he have been able to save her? Jasmine's Mother can't shake this thought.

The accused rapist/murderer is quickly found through a DNA match to sperm left on her body and the man is taken into custody... and Bruno's plan begins. Is jail enough of a punishment for the man that took away his daughter? Not for Bruno who decides that torcher and revenge is the only way to make the man truly pay for what he did.

The kidnapping of the accused rapist/murderer and subsequent torcher is the majority of the movie. This is not a film about police work or finding out who killed Jasmine. It's not a film about the man's trial or the search for her when she first goes missing - all of that is a mere backdrop for the true focus of the film - a Father's pain and need for revenge and the sick, twisted journey he takes as he physically torchers and beats the man who took his daughter from him.

It's up to the audience to decide if they support the Father's actions or not and if revenge is truly the only real way to seek justice.

Beware - the torcher scenes are graphic, realistic and very disturbing and there is a lot of full frontal male nudity (the accused rapist/murderer is stripped nude once kidnapped and naked the rest of the film). However, I don't see the film as something only a sadist who enjoys the sub-genre of 'torcher porn' would like - b/c the movie is more about the emotions behind the actions than the actual physical pain.

Does the Father actually kill his daughter's killer in the end when given the chance? Watch and find out.

7/10 Good Movie