Through Her Lens

When Abigail (Octavia Red) falls down the rabbit hole of the shadowy world of sex-for-trade, she is stunned to find so many stories about women disappearing. One woman named Anna Lawson (Ashley Lane) grabs ahold of her, and finding justice for the young woman becomes an obsession. But the deeper Abigail digs into Anna's whereabouts, the more confusing and frustrating the story becomes. The countless roadblocks, an apathetic police force, and a mysterious former adult star named Ben (Seth Gamble) at the heart of the conspiracy turns Abigail's psyche upside down. And the deeper she digs, the more she finds herself intrigued by what she discovers.

Busty redhead Octavia Red is back with another psychological thriller, this time from director Claudia Ross. I've seen Red in plenty of scenes that allowed her to do minimal acting, and I always thought she had the potential to hold a full feature with her performances. "Through Her Lens" is a perfect example of that potential realized. Pairing Red against the always impressive Seth Gamble was a smart choice, as the two of them together move through this story with ease. And of course, the sex is all dynamite.

I love the way the story starts, with Abigail dreaming about some rather rough sex. There's a mystery to the dream, with the viewer unsure exactly what is happening or with whom — and Abigail wakes up before we can get any answers. But it sets the mysterious, sensual tone straight away, and it doesn't take long for the film to build around that dynamic. Abigail's research leads her to an audition video of a beautiful young woman named Anna Lawson. After a simple interview, the tape transitions to Anna having sex with Ben Harris, and holy smokes, Ashley stays hot!

After Abigail hits a brick wall in her investigation, she decides to take matters into her own hands, which leads her to Sarah's doorstep (Regan Foxx). The business-oriented agent demands the usual photos in a matter-of-fact way, but the interaction turns acidic when Abigail accuses Sarah of hiring girls and pimping them out on the black market once they've outlived their usefulness. Determined not to let the trail go cold, Abigail infiltrates Sarah's sex club Paradise to see if she can find Ben. Along the way, she witnesses a live sex show between Lulu (Kylie Rocket) and her mysterious lover (Victor Ray). Despite Abigail's quest for justice, she can't help but find herself distracted and more than turned on by the hedonistic show. Victor lays the pipe on her hard.

A fiery confrontation after the show leads to a much more intimate encounter later as Abigail finally locates the elusive Ben. But to her surprise, Ben tells her something that completely shatters her worldview, leading something to awaken inside of her that she didn't even know was there. Ben takes advantage of her epiphany, seducing the sexy redhead with an unexpected tenderness laced with a lascivious promise. The more Ben touches her, the more brazen Abby gets. She morphs from the timid, curious, moral champion we've been following into a depraved slut who aches with an unabated desire for the pleasures of the flesh.

Back at Paradise, Abigail is ready to become who she was always meant to be. Sarah is there, eager to guide her along the final leg of her journey — and she enlists the help of a mysterious Frenchman (Vince Karter) to help them. It's a fantastic threesome that sees Abigail leap overboard from the vessel of inhibition and restraint and into the cascading sea of lust-driven passion. The film ends with a psychological mindfuck that I won't spoil, but I can think of no better way for Abigail's story to conclude.

Ross' film is captivating, the entire cast brings exactly the energy needed to bring the story to life, and Octavia is the engine that makes it all work. Bravo to all involved.