Julia is branded X in this well-wrought generic thriller fleshed out in 3D. The depth is enhanced, as well, by a multi-dimensional plot with doses of cheeky humor and verbal panache, as well as in-your-face visual thrusts that make keen use of the format.

Ripped from the news pages of Craigslist killers and Internet predators, Julia X is a twisted concoction of modern-day dating dilemmas, as well as a satiric slant on the “soulmate”- delusions of naïve romancers.

In this titillating mash, Valerie Azlynn stars as an alluring predator who meets her match on an Internet date with a chap whose hidden profile is a blend of Ted Bundy and Hannibal Lechter. They meet online and before he even learns her favorite color, he’s dragged her to his lair and branded her butt with his signature “X.”

Then, to continue the fun, he drags her to his bayou bachelor pad, replete with enough sharp objects to launch an Inquisition. Their first “date” progresses fast, as she turns the tables and throws in her twisted little Sis (Alicia Leigh Willis).

Throughout screenwriter, Matt Cunningham has cleverly welded together aberrant psychology with searing thriller/horror elements. To boot, Cunningham heaves in some dollops of droll satirical dialogue, leavening the often gruesome antics of the “players.”

Director: P.J. Pettiette
Screenwriter: Matt Cunningham