UK Release Date: 04-10-2010
Price: £15.99
UK Certificate: 18
Director: Andrew Thomas Hunt
Country: Canada
Distributor: Anchor Bay Home Entertainment

Helmed by first-time director Andrew Thomas Hunt, Sweet Karma is a grimy, distinctly ‘70s-flavoured femme-revenge flick which, though flawed, strives nobly to punch above its weight. Indeed, its threadbare plot – Shera Bechard’s mute Russian infiltrates a Canadian sex-trafficking ring to avenge her sister’s murder – affects, whilst the film’s suitably despicable trio of flesh-peddling mobsters inevitably get their comeuppance in ways which are as satisfying as they are inventive (death by bra wire being a particular favourite). Most refreshing, though, is the film’s deft avoidance of pastiche and evident sincerity, a highly laudable gesture amidst the spate of faux-exploitation comedies which have flooded the market of late. Sure, it may be rough around the edges (some action scenes are noticeably sped-up and the odd attempt at humour is ill-advised), however, surprisingly for a film which features someone being assassinated with starch-laced cocaine, Sweet Karma is oddly endearing.