An epic adult movie with a social and political conscience, B. Skow’s The Condemned traces a secret society where women fighters enact vigilante revenge on rapists, murderers and all sorts of scummy criminals who attack women. With incredible sex, career-topping acting performances, production values that rival mainstream Hollywood, and realistic violence that punctuates the textured and compelling storyline, not only is this one of the best adult titles of 2010, but it’s a modern classic that should stand the test of time.

From the opening credits of this four-hour saga, we are thrust into a female Fight Club, where hot, sweaty women kick the shit out of their opponents for the pleasure of some sleazy gamblers. Nikki Jayne, a world champion fighter, comes out of the battle with swelled fists and the concern of husband Ben English, who lustfully seduces her in the locker room, jamming his cock into her mouth, pussy and asshole in a riveting sex scene that sets the tone for the entire feature.

Later that evening, English is beaten to a pulp and Nikki gets kidnapped. She is transported into a world where strong, nasty women beat and kill the men they have captured, all of whom have been tagged as perpetrators of violence against women. Nikki’s eventual acclimation to this underground clan makes up the bulk of the plot.

Along the way, director B. Skow shoots some of the best sex scenes of his career. Kimberly Kane’s raw blowjob of Anthony Rosano at the fight club begins slowly and seductively, with Kane masterfully bringing him to orgasm. In a hospital bed, Faye Reagan and James Deen get extremely nasty in an excellent fuck-and-suck scene, where nipple-slapping, pussy-spanking and raucous hardcore highlight the long, hot and detailed scene.

Kane joins vigilante team leader Krissy Lynn and Mr. Pete for a sweaty three-way scene. Lynn is indefatigable as she’s fucked while Mr. Pete sucks Kane’s pussy. Then he fucks Kane’s asshole and puts his dick right into Lynn’s pussy and back into Kane’s mouth, where the cum drips from her face onto Lynn’s large tits.

Kagney Linn Karter and Tory Lane exchange saliva in a nasty lesbian scene; Mr. Marcus slams Vanessa Leon on a stairwell; Nikki Jayne gets double penetrated by Marco Banderas and Jerry in an amazing scene; Jayne and Lynn fuck; Meggan Mallone and Randy Spears get riled up in a sex scene as the two cops look for the missing Nikki ... it goes on and on.

David Stanley’s superb screenplay, which includes a great twist that I never saw coming, allows for terrific acting achievement all around. Nikki Jayne, looking beautiful, blonde and fit, shows chops never before witnessed, both physically in her fight sequences and in the quieter dialogue scenes. It’s a tough, nuanced interpretation. Ben English turns in a typically strong performance. But the superb work of the two leads doesn’t take away from excellent supporting actor realizations from Krissy Lynn, Anthony Rosano, Kimberly Kane, Faye Reagan and an entire array of non-porn performers who add depth to the movie. 

The Condemned looks and feels like the best of mainstream independent films, with riveting action sequences (one particular scene where the girls beat the crap out of a criminal and twist his neck to kill him is particularly shocking), great cinematography and editing, and a pace that never gets dull, despite the long running time and lengthy sexual encounters.

It’s nice to see superior work from a veteran director and to learn that, even in a down economy, the porn epic is alive and well. Among the ample extras are a long BTS and a couple of bonus scenes.