St. Claire makes for an intimidating Dom without resorting to cartoonish antagonism. Likewise, her suffragettes make every wince and moan authentic. Add to that a delectable selection of fetish garments, fresh locations and highly competent videography, plus a welt-raising selection of paddle action, caning, nipple tweaking and much more. It's not a difficult standard to live up to, yet so few achieve St. Claire's level.

It is not so much the specific acts of consensual abuse that make this entry stand out. Credit the overall ambiance, which puts it over the top.

Pre-nom for Best Specialty Release – BDSM

Retailing: Sleeper surprise will curl toes.