Torture Porn Era Officially Dead

A film genre known for its gruesome depictions of torture, punishment and death has met its own demise.

The box office receipts for “The Collection,” a film from some of the creative team behind the “Saw” franchise, earned a pitiful $3.4 million over the weekend.

The sequel to the obscure 2009 horror film “The Collector” ladled on the gore like its Torture Porn predecessors “Hostel” and “Saw,” two franchises currently in limbo. Had “The Collection” scared up some decent coin you can bet the minds behind those franchises might consider it a sign to sharpen those rusty blades anew.

Audiences have had enough of the cleverly conceived mutilations. Found footage horror a la “Paranormal Activity” is the preferred method for scares, and studios lap up its low-fi approach and star-free casts.

Torture porn-style horror will still have a home on video and streaming services, satiating a niche eager to witness faux atrocities. The “Wrong Turn” series, for example, dabbles in the genre’s blood-soaked visuals. That direct-to-DVD series is far more interested in horror movie tropes like gratuitous nudity, violence and an insatiable hunger for sequels.