I have to say that the positive reaction to Alexandre Aja’s French horror movie, coupled with the mention of a twist ending ultimately left me expecting a lot from this film, and also made me question certain aspects more than I would normally.
There is no denying that the film is expertly crafted what with excellent use of vibrant colour, clever camera work and strong editing that makes good use of music and sound to enhance the production. The visual effects are also similarly well handled by Gianetto De Rossi.
The performances from Cecile De France and Philippe Nahon are amazing, and Maiwen provides excellent support to the proceedings also, and they all deserve even more praise due to the fact that there is hardly any dialogue in the film.
My favourite aspect of the film was the atmosphere created by Aja, through use of creepy locations and ambient sound, but the gore which was actually the most memorable I have seen in ages added to the fear factor.
The film is a punishing tour de force that does not allow you to breathe from start to finish, as it is filled with such an atmosphere of dread that you expect the worst the entire time.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Although I was initially a little disappointed as I had come to expect an amazing piece of work, this film has grown on me and deserves the credit it has received. If you know nothing about this you will be shocked and probably horrified by the time the film ends, but I found myself noticing clues which ultimately didn’t leave me as stunned at the climax as I probably should have been.
