YMMV / The Collector (2009)

• Bile Fascination: It’s pretty much agreed that neither films have much substance or reason to be seen unless you're either into watching people get killed messily or seeing a pretty badass and smart "Final Guy"/horror movie protagonist in Arkin. And unsurprisingly, Torture Porn isn’t exactly something for everyone.
• Catharsis Factor: Watching Arkin beat the everloving shit out of the Collector — who narrowly dodged karma in the first movie — and then set him on fire. Even when he seemingly escapes justice again, Arkin manages to track him down and deliver another beating, with the intent of torturing him before killing him once and for all.
• Complete Monster: The titular Serial Killer breaks into families' homes, turning them into deadly traps and torturing the residents, including the children, before "collecting" one he likes best and taking them for gruesome experiments, abducting Arkin for such a fate. When his crimes are uncovered, it's estimated he's killed hundreds. Opening the sequel, the Collector massacres dozens of partygoers at a dance club with his traps, including a harvesting combine which grinds up numerous victims, and an elevator which crushes many more, kidnapping Elena while Arkin escapes. The Collector sends a hospitalized Arkin a note about coming after his family next. During a rescue mission for Elena, it's revealed the Collector drives his captives to feral madness through extensive torture and drugs; while killing off a group of mercenaries that Arkin led to his hideout, the Collector uses them as attack dogs, before trying to burn down his hideout when the police arrive.
• Fan Nickname: Of a sort. While the Collector himself is unnamed in the movies proper, a Freeze-Frame Bonus in the sequels opening credits show an Entomology Degree reading the name “Asa Emory”. With this, many fans take this as being The Collector’s actual name.
• Heartwarming Moments: Arkin going back to the house to rescue Hannah despite having every reason to get out of dodge. He even allows the Collector to torture him just to prevent him from finding her.
• Magnificent Bastard: Arkin O'Brien is a former convict looking to settle down with his wife and daughter, who successfully matches wits with the titular killer, despite the trauma he's put through. To settle his wife's debt, Arkin burgles a family he befriends, during one of the Collector's home invasions. Using his wits to dodge the Collector's traps and get the drop on him, Arkin saves the youngest daughter of the family, and steals their expensive ruby, only to be abducted by the Collector while hospitalized. Later escaping, Arkin joins a rescue mission for an abducted teenager, especially when his family is threatened. Arkin makes a "map" on himsef of the Collector's hideout, giving himself different cuts in accordance to time, distance and direction from the spot of his abduction. To lure the police to the location, Arkin non-fatally shoots a vagrant to get their attention, before beating down the Collector himself, leaving him to burn in a "dungeon" full of his maddened captives. Even when the Collector escapes, Arkin narrows down his address and civilian identity, trapping him with the intent on repaying him for his torture, before finally killing him.
• Signature Scene: For The Collection, either the nightclub massacre or the Final Battle sequence at the hotel.
• The Woobie:
  • Larry in the first movie. He's abducted whilst he tries to open the box, chained up and tortured, and when Arkin finds him, he is unable to take him anywhere despite his pleas otherwise, leaving him to the mercy of the Collector. Then the Collector throws him into Hannah's room to be electrocuted by Hannah and Arkin.
  • Hannah. Her whole family might count, as well, but seeing how she's just a little girl and she's left without a family by the end, she stands out.

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