Was this remake entirely necessary? Actually no. Especially when you consider Meir Zarchi's 1978 revenge film continues to be a widely revered, and critically reviled piece of volatile grindhouse cinema that not only set the stages for future revenge films, but was already remade subsequent its theatrical release where we saw no end of women on a rampage revenge films in the late seventies in to the eighties. "I Spit on Your Grave" is still one of the most heavily discussed and angrily debated cult masterpieces to this day inspiring hatred and praise from many film buffs and to this day inspires pure vitriol from iconic film critic Roger Ebert who despises Zarchi's film so passionately, he banishes anyone who enjoyed it. "I Spit on Your Grave" was a given considering the need for torture porn is still high in the film circuit, and studios are anxiously scouring for new material for the sub-genre. Meir Zarchi's film was ripe for a modern remake instilling the same dynamic and sense of punishment for Jennifer's sexuality as Zarchi's film, but injecting more contemporary facets like cell phones, and the relevant inclusion of voyeurism through a character's camcorder.

Morse doesn't remotely attempt to empathize with them, but instead turns them in to actual characters, where in the original they were more blank violent terrors who stuck down on Jennifer one day and wouldn't relent. This builds a competent tension and mounting suspense leading in to Jennifer's (star Sarah Butler is shockingly on par with the immortal Camille Keaton) ultimate ordeal where Monroe zeroes in on her futile attempts to endure endless rape and torture by the group of men who set out to prove their sexual power, and punish her for dominating her sense of self worth and sexuality. "I Spit on Your Grave" much like the remake of "Last House" is less focused on torture and more on the revenge aspect. Jennifer's ultimate payback, while much too "Saw" for the sake of the story, is as brutal as director Munroe intends it to be, and when we're subjected to her idea of payback, it offers some grueling and disgusting catharsis for this scorned young woman. The question we're left is: Where does she go from here? That's always the lingering thought after payback.

Steven R. Monroe's version of "I Spit on Your Grave" is a competent remake and a vicious thriller that compliments director Meir Zarchi's original rape revenge film perfectly as a re-working that expands on sub-plots and characters, while keeping true to the spirit of the grindhouse classic. I still prefer Zarchi's contribution by miles, but this is nothing to scoff at either.