Horror Asylum
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Paranormal Dating Website For Single Who Believe
    • Screamify Inks Development Deal with Award-Winning Filmmaker Ty Huffer for New Horror Feature
    • Phillip Buchanon’s KREASTER Headed To Cabin in the Woods Film Festival
    • ZOMBIESLUTS STRIPCLUB SLAUGHTERHOUSE: Andrew Pierson Keeps the Undead Out and the Blood Flowing!
    • Why Do We Love Being Scared?
    • REUNITE IN THE BLOODY UNDERWORLD OF NIGHT CARNAGE WITH MIKE FERGUSON AND SADIE KATZ
    • DRILLER KILLER 2 Starring Eric Roberts & Beverly Randolph and featuring Hollywood legend Denzil Washington
    • Until There Is One Launches Indiegogo Campaign To Help Break Guinness World Record For Most Kills
    Facebook Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    Horror Asylum
    • Home
    • Horror News
    • Horror Reviews
    • Horror Giveaways
    • Latest Interviews
    • Advertising
      • General Advertising
      • Horror Social Influence
    • Contact Us
    Horror Asylum
    Home » Sample Page » Reviews » THE SEVERING (2022)

    THE SEVERING (2022)

    0
    By Terry Jarrell on April 10, 2023 Reviews

    First things first… The Severing is anything but a normal, formulaic movie with a clearly defined plot, character development and dialog, steady logic lines and lots of predictable and familiar points to ride along with. No, this movie is surely not your routine popcorn flick by any means. What it is however, is something captivating, mesmerizing and surprisingly emotional.

    Producer Mark Pellington delivers a dark, brooding world of dimly lit, cold and dark emptiness with sets reminiscent of the SAW movies in their worn out industrial basement aesthetic. Mr. Pellington has a very deep background in creating captivating and thought provoking imagery. He has created music videos for such top performers such as Nine Inch Nails, U2, Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters and many, many others. Of particular note, who can forget the stunning images for Pearl Jam’s ‘Jeremy’ video which Mark created and won four MTV awards in 1993 for Best Director and Video Of The Year. He has also worked on and/or made cameo appearances in well known movies including The Mothman Prophecies, Almost Famous and Jerry Maguire.

    I must say that the cinematography is a shining star here. As a filmmaker myself, creative and thoughtful camera work always makes a big impact to me. Mostly all the scenes in The Severing are presented in slightly slow motion which adds to the surreal, dream-like quality of the motion as does the easy constant energy and motion of the handheld camera work. The strategic use of lighting and focus, or lack of, is handled to great effect. For example when there are rays of sunlight shining through a window, it is overexposed and juxtaposed against the cold and empty darkness of the harsh, hard basement rooms where the scenes take place to underline the separation of the two worlds.

    The performers are incredibly talented, and flexible dancers who cast a similarly fitting look of a dark existence while being nearly naked save for minimal coverings. The rest of their bodies are roughly colored in gray, black and red greasepaint. They look altered or tarnished by their surroundings while still existing as these incredibly beautiful beings underneath the layers of whatever has attached to their exterior. The grace and elegance of their motions at times convey immense beauty while at other times, their unnerving contortions conjure up unease and fear.

    The imagery is immediately striking. As the film moves through the first few minutes the color palette and overall feel of the visuals seems to become its own character. The same can be said of the droning electronic score which punctuates and guides the viewer along this black river with appropriate force and subtlety perfectly fitting the scenes.

    A major element that needs to be noted is the lack of dialog. Aside from occasional subtle and brief voice overs, the rest of the story is told by the body language of the performers and the beautiful camera work and score. There are occasional text prompts suggesting this or that, but I found these to be almost like bumpers to gently nudge the viewer’s perception of a scene in a particular direction, or open up a level of introspection.

    So, back to the popcorn flick thing… This is the type of movie that demands your full attention to appreciate it. Being an interpretive – and I use that word here heavily – project, I can imagine this film would impact any given viewer differently from the next. There is so much symbolism for the inner struggles of love, hate, apathy, fear, dread, sex, contact, communication, loss, loneliness, ugliness, beauty and hope. It did not take me long to find the rhythm of The Severing at which point as a viewer, I began to see shades of my own thoughts in the actions and message of the characters. Even without substantial dialog, the immersive experience of a dark viewing room and quality ear buds make a connection to the message.

    Once again, this is quite a different type of movie which may sit very differently between viewers depending on taste and even patience. The emphasis on imagery and interpretive dance performance may get long in the tooth for some while others will be longing for more after the roughly 70 minute run time. However, the beauty of the movie as a whole is worth a look.

     

    80%
    80%
    • User Ratings (0 Votes)
      0
    Terry Jarrell

    Terry is founder of Black Dog Filmz based in Florida and creator of the award winning ‘Harlow’s Haunt’ movie. He has been involved with creative filmmaking, movies, music videos and commercial projects for more than 20 years as a tech, drone and specialized small camera systems professional. A lifelong horror fan, Terry combines the behind-the-camera elements with creative and editorial writing to support filmmakers and fans everywhere. Terry has written for such national publications as Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Drone News and hosted the popular Romero Pictures Indie Brigade Drone Cav podcast centered on aerial cinematography and various product and content reviews.

    www.blackdogfilmz.com
    Evelin Rei Evelin Van Rei Kino Lorber Mark Pellington Nina McNeely Pina Sergio Pinheiro The Severing Wim Wenders
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleBayView Entertainment bringing horror comedy I NEED YOU DEAD! to Blu-ray this April
    Next Article All you need… Is one slice of MY CHERRY PIE – coming soon from VIPCO & BayView Entertainment

    Related Posts

    AI Horror Film VIRTUAL REALITY out now on Blu-ray and VOD

    Special Q & A screenings of Mark Pellington’s Cathartic Dance Film THE SEVERING coming to NYC & LA

    KINO LORBER RELEASING ANNA BILLER’S “VIVA” ON BLU RAY

    Leave A Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    • Like us on Facebook
    • Follow us on Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Follow us on Pinterest
    Bayview Films on Roku
    Popular Categories
    • Giveaways (1,482)
    • Interviews (59)
    • News (13,189)
    • Reviews (1,614)
    • Uncategorised (5)
    Recent News
    July 11, 2025

    Paranormal Dating Website For Single Who Believe

    July 11, 2025

    Screamify Inks Development Deal with Award-Winning Filmmaker Ty Huffer for New Horror Feature

    July 11, 2025

    Phillip Buchanon’s KREASTER Headed To Cabin in the Woods Film Festival

    July 11, 2025

    ZOMBIESLUTS STRIPCLUB SLAUGHTERHOUSE: Andrew Pierson Keeps the Undead Out and the Blood Flowing!

    July 9, 2025

    Why Do We Love Being Scared?

    Horror Reviews
    4.0
    November 14, 2024

    ARTIFACTS OF FEAR (2023)

    4.0
    June 20, 2024

    JURASSIC VALLEY (aka Kingdom Of The Dinosaurs) (2022)

    8.0
    June 19, 2024

    BEWARE THE BOOGEYMAN (2024)

    6.0
    June 15, 2024

    GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS: DEATH AND PORRIDGE (2024)

    Marketing Macabre
    Horror Interviews
    August 28, 2024

    Exclusive Interview: Paugh Shadow (The Omicron Killer)

    March 7, 2024

    Exclusive Interview: David Zagorski (Horny Teenagers Must Die)

    January 16, 2024

    Exclusive Interview: Ayvianna Snow (Burnt Flowers)

    December 27, 2023

    Exclusive Interview: Gav Steel (The Shadow Of Death)

    About Us
    About Us

    Horror Asylum

    Unleash your dark side with the Horror Asylum. Established way back in 2001 we have enjoyed over 22 years of providing the latest and best horror news, reviews, interviews and exciting giveaways.

    The content contained on this site should be viewed for entertainment purposes only. We are not liable for the misuse or for inaccuracies contained within.

    Facebook Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    Latest Horror News
    July 11, 2025

    Paranormal Dating Website For Single Who Believe

    July 11, 2025

    Screamify Inks Development Deal with Award-Winning Filmmaker Ty Huffer for New Horror Feature

    July 11, 2025

    Phillip Buchanon’s KREASTER Headed To Cabin in the Woods Film Festival

    July 11, 2025

    ZOMBIESLUTS STRIPCLUB SLAUGHTERHOUSE: Andrew Pierson Keeps the Undead Out and the Blood Flowing!

     

    Horror Stock VHS
    RETRO HORROR VHS, PROPS & GIFTS

    Asylumedia Web Services
    WEB DEV, SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL CONTENT

    Back to the Movies
    INDEPENDENT MOVIE & ENTERTAINMENT SITE

    Copyright © 2025 Horror Asylum. Powered by Asylumedia.
    • Advertising
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Copyright & Disclaimers
    • Contact Us

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our use of cookies.