The War Zone opens in an isolated part of North Devon, where a family of four has just moved from London. They appear to be a happy, cohesive unit - wisecracking, blue-collar Dad (Ray Winstone, Nil By Mouth), pregnant Mum (Tilda Swinton, Orlando) and their two teenage children that miss the bustle of London: 18-year-old Jesse (Lara Belmont) and 15-year-old Tom (Freddie Cunliffe). Other than being a little open with nudity, the family seems to be as normal as can be. But, then again, the Burhams seemed pretty normal on the surface of American Beauty, too.

After the birth of his baby sister, Tom begins to suspect something devious is going on between his dad and Jessie. He thinks they may have been in the shower together and he finds naked pictures of his older sister in a dresser. Tom confronts Jessie, but she denies everything. As his suspicion grows, you can almost feel the emptiness in Tom's stomach when he watches Dad play with the new baby. Then, one day in an old military bunker near their home, Tom stumbles onto a situation that will forever change the family.

The film is brutal to watch, even for a hardened viewer like myself. At the screening I attended during the Toronto International Film Festival, many film fans walked out during the bunker scene. One man shouted "Is this really necessary?" at the screen before loudly chastising the remaining audience for "just sitting there." His ranting could still be heard as he stormed through the lobby and out the door. The scene is that powerful. It seems to go on for ages and was uncomfortable enough before the outburst.

Roth's (Hoodlum) filmmaking debut is as good as they come, purposefully leaving many questions open after the credits roll. He refused to answer many questions during the Q&A session after the screening, often responding "Well, what do you think?" to queries about characters. He appeared visibly nervous, saying that the book (written by Alexander Stuart) made him weep, while the subject matter "disturbs the f--- out of him." Roth, who alluded to the fact that he too was a victim of similar abuse, said that he tried to be honest and respectful to the subject matter that obviously hit close to him for him and a surprising portion of the audience.

During the Q&A, Belmont was standing off in the shadows near the theatre's exit. As people began to leave, they would see the amazing actress, approach her and, unable to vocalize their feelings, touch her hand before hurrying out the door, their eyes brimming with tears. Her performance is beyond incredible and, amazingly, The War Zone is her first acting gig. Ditto for Cunliffe, in a portrayal of a young teen at an age when he should be discovering his own sexuality, but instead finds a nightmare beyond words. Roth explained that he cast these roles with the intention of using unknowns. In addition to the fine acting and direction, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey (The Winter Guest) helps to apply a bleak, cold feel to the film. Like it wouldn't have been anyway.

1:38 - but includes nudity, strong sexual content including rape and incest, adult language and violence